Mechanical Design Engineer - Towers
About The Position
The Ground Systems team is responsible for all of the hardware on the ground that enables our Zips to take off, fly, land and prepare for their next mission. We are developing an infrastructure solution for drone-based logistics, akin to what the solar industry has achieved with solar panels deployed worldwide. Our goal is to develop elegant integration solutions that are modular, cost effective, and adaptable to both new and existing building structures and sites worldwide for a variety of customers making drone deliveries. Our team designs large steel towers that hold our docks. Outside of providing structural support, the towers include the mechanisms, actuators, and harnessing that support our docks’ charging infrastructure and transmit data.
Requirements
- Proven track record owning complex subassemblies or full systems over at least 3 product programs (concept, prototype, validation, production)
- Strong fundamentals: load estimation, classic mechanics, structural hand calcs to guide part sizing, FEA and clean CAD designs.
- Excellent problem solving - tenacious and scientific approach while able to quickly explain concepts to others
- Familiarity with mechanism design and the integration of electrical components into hardware products
- Practical knowledge of manufacturing methods such as welding, sheetmetal forming, extrusion, CNC machining, etc
- Experience partnering with contract manufacturers to ramp up production of high volume lines
- Demonstrated CAD fluency for system level ownership - 3D/2D of 20-50 parts simultaneously
- Disciplined processes: Parts are released, BOMs are maintained, SOPs created for builds, and timelines are up-to-date
- True expertise in one area that will level up the team
- Excellent communication - written, verbal, and visual. Ability to tailor to audience with the right level of technical depth, including using basic tools in place of full CAD when it makes sense
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
- Ability to periodically (<10%) travel to visit customers and suppliers
- Must be eligible to work in the US and willing to relocate to Bay Area CA region
Nice To Haves
- NX is your primary CAD tool
- Knowledge in applying appropriate FOS and margin to human safety critical application (design margin tables, structural joint calculations)
- Hands-on welding experience for prototyping
Responsibilities
- Use engineering fundamentals to develop innovative products for our ground systems infrastructure, centered around welded steel towers that are a few stories high.
- Engineer systems that will only come together days before they are needed, ensuring they work the first time.
- Solve complex problems with little direction and maximum autonomy, using hand calculations to guide thinking and designs.
- Own the design of the entire system and subassemblies for the next generation of our towers, including design of structural components, mechanisms, and electronics integration.
- Make important decisions about the product architecture and create designs that will enable practical scale on a short timeline that will meet high product reliability targets.
- Quickly iterate and downselect based on data from analysis and test results from prototypes.
- Collaborate cross functionally with electrical, software, civil, NPI and supply chain teams to bring designs to production and into the field.
Benefits
- equity compensation
- discretionary annual or performance bonuses
- sales incentives
- medical, dental and vision insurance
- paid time off
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
