Principal Structural Design for Manufacturing Engineer

JetZero•Greensboro, NC

About The Position

JetZero is seeking a Principal Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Engineer to act as a crucial link between structural design and production. This senior individual contributor role demands extensive knowledge in both aircraft structural design and manufacturing engineering, enabling effective communication and decision-making at the intersection of these fields. The Principal DFM Engineer will be integrated into JetZero's Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), influencing structural architecture from concept through detail design to ensure the Blended Wing Body aircraft is structurally sound, producible, inspectable, and scalable for production rates. This role involves technical leadership, setting DFM standards, and mentoring across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
15+ years of combined experience in aircraft structural design and/or manufacturing engineering, with demonstrated expertise in both disciplines.
Deep knowledge of composite and metallic aircraft structures, including PSEs, load path optimization, joint design (bolted and bonded), and structural architecture.
Hands-on experience driving DFM in an aerospace product development environment.
Experience developing manufacturing processes, tooling strategies, work packages, BOMs, and BOPs.
Strong proficiency with Siemens NX.
Solid understanding of GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and its application to structural assemblies.
Experience with PLM and MES systems in an aerospace development context.
Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and communicate complex technical trade-offs to diverse stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience on a new aircraft development program (clean-sheet or major derivative).
Familiarity with Siemens Process Simulate or equivalent digital manufacturing tools.
Experience with composite manufacturing processes (layup, autoclave, OOA, AFP/ATL) and their design implications.
Prior experience in a technical lead or principal engineer capacity.
Experience with FiberSim and/or Teamcenter.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary DFM authority within structural IPTs, ensuring manufacturing considerations are incorporated at every stage of the design process.
Identify and resolve producibility risks early in the design cycle, influencing material selection, tolerances, joint design, part consolidation, and assembly methods.
Lead DFM trade studies and design reviews, providing actionable guidance to structural design and manufacturing engineers.
Champion Model Based Definition (MBD) practices to ensure accurate communication of design intent to manufacturing.
Apply deep knowledge of composite and metallic aircraft structures to evaluate and guide structural architectures for producibility.
Collaborate with stress, design, and systems engineers to ensure compatibility of load paths, PSE configurations, and structural interfaces with planned manufacturing and assembly methods.
Review and approve engineering drawings, design specifications, and compliance documentation with a DFM lens.
Support Building Block test program development to validate structural and manufacturing approaches.
Develop and validate manufacturing processes, tooling strategies, and build sequences aligned to the structural design.
Define Bills of Process (BOPs) and work package instructions.
Apply and interpret GD&T for manufacturability, inspection, and assembly.
Leverage digital manufacturing tools (kinematic, robotic, process simulations) to develop efficient assembly approaches.
Maintain alignment across CAD, BOM, and BOP systems; manage DFM impacts of engineering changes.
Establish and maintain DFM guidelines, standards, and best practices for JetZero's structures organization.
Train and mentor structural design and manufacturing engineers on DFM principles.
Engage directly with suppliers during design reviews to ensure external designs and processes meet JetZero's producibility requirements.
Collaborate with Systems, Cabin, and Supply Chain teams to drive integrated, manufacturable solutions at the aircraft level.