Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering - Drone

Applied Intuition•Sunnyvale, CA

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering, Drone will lead and grow the team responsible for mechanical design of drone platforms, from airframes and structures through full aircraft integration. The role owns the mechanical engineering roadmap for uncrewed aircraft and involves hiring and developing mechanical engineers while working hands-on through the product design lifecycle, from concept and prototype to flight testing and production. The manager sets technical direction for aircraft design tradeoffs involving weight, strength, aerodynamics, flight time, and payload capacity. The role oversees integration of propulsion, batteries, avionics, and payloads; structural, thermal, and vibration analysis; prototyping and flight testing; crash and failure investigations; and design quality at component, assembly, and integrated-aircraft levels. It also champions manufacturability, repairability, and field serviceability, develops team members, and partners with autonomy, avionics, electrical, software, and flight test leaders. Applied Intuition is an in-office company. Full-time employees are expected to work primarily from an Applied Intuition office five days per week, with occasional flexibility for remote work and schedule adjustments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
12 or more years of experience designing hardware and shipping products, ideally for drones, UAS, or aircraft.
7 or more years of experience leading and managing mechanical engineering teams.
Hands-on experience designing flight vehicles or flight-critical structures, such as airframes, wings, fuselages, rotor arms, or landing gear.
Strong understanding of aircraft design factors, including weight, structures, aerodynamic loads, stability, and propulsion integration.
Experience designing lightweight structures, including composites, carbon fiber, and aerospace-grade metals.
Experience with design for manufacturing methods such as CNC machining, composite layup, sheet metal, and additive manufacturing.
Proficiency in CAD for 3D design and modification; SolidWorks is preferred.
Track record of hiring, developing, and retaining strong engineering talent.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting flight testing and field operations, including setting up devices under test and writing documentation for test, maintenance, safety, and team processes.
Experience designing, drawing, and prototyping custom cable harnesses.
Demonstrated experience in FEA/CAE, including structural, thermal, vibration, and shock analysis.
Hands-on experience shipping high-complexity hardware in both early-stage startup (0 to 1) and mass-production environments.

Responsibilities

Build and lead a mechanical engineering team responsible for drone airframes, fuselages, wings or rotor arms, landing gear, and structural components.
Set technical direction for tradeoffs among weight, strength, aerodynamics, flight time, and payload capacity.
Guide integration of propulsion, batteries, avionics, and payloads into the airframe, including packaging, mounting, cooling, and cable routing.
Oversee structural, thermal, and vibration analysis, using flight and test data to validate and improve designs.
Promote rapid prototyping by building, assembling, and iterating on hardware, and support flight testing and field operations.
Lead failure and crash investigations, conduct root cause analysis, and translate findings into design improvements.
Own design, analysis, and validation quality at component, assembly, and fully integrated aircraft levels.
Champion design for manufacturability, repairability, and field serviceability.
Hire, mentor, and develop mechanical engineers, and manage performance and career development.
Partner with autonomy, avionics, electrical, software, and flight test leaders to ensure designs meet mission requirements.