Senior Product Design Engineer

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

1d•$196,000 - $270,000

About The Position

Skydio is seeking a Senior Product Design Engineer to help architect, develop, and refine the mechanical structures, mechanisms, and solutions that support reliable autonomous flight. The role focuses on designing mechanical systems for aircraft, ground stations, and accessories, while working collaboratively across engineering, operations, supply chain, and manufacturing teams. The engineer will guide designs from initial architecture and prototyping through pre-production and mass production, using analysis and testing to evaluate trade-offs and validate performance. The position may be senior-level depending on the candidate’s experience.

Requirements

Deep prior product development experience and a proven track record of execution, enthusiasm, and cooperation.
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent, with demonstrated academic excellence.
Ability to apply analytical problem-solving skills and engineering fundamentals to design high-quality products for sophisticated electromechanical systems.
Mastery of 3D CAD for developing complex assemblies, including judgment about when to use quick hacks versus elegant parametric models.
Ability to design for injection molding, metal casting, and CNC machining.
Ability to produce well-constructed, thorough mechanical part and assembly drawings.
Ability to prototype quickly and efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
Strategic judgment across the design, source, build, validate, and ship process.
Passion for elegant mechanical design and attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

Experience with CATIA; strongly preferred.
Experience designing for sheet metal forming and composites.
FAA Part 107 certification is strongly encouraged within the first 60 days of employment for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions.

Responsibilities

Design mechanical parts and assemblies for aircraft, ground stations, and other accessories as part of new product architectures.
Collaborate with electrical engineers to shape and integrate custom PCBAs, flex circuits, antennas, and cable harnesses.
Interface with vendors and own technical activities in partnership with operations and supply chain teams.
Define and execute engineering tests, and use analysis to evaluate system trade-offs and validate designs.
Drive designs through prototyping, pre-production, and mass production.
Support internal manufacturing and factory teams with assembly processes, quality criteria, and inspection criteria.
Debug and investigate failures, pursuing root causes in detail.