Mechanical Engineer - Mechanical Systems

At Elroy Air, we build autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) cargo drones to change the way the world moves goods. Transporting cargo by air is faster and more direct than by land or sea, but it has been prohibitively expensive for medium-size loads. We've set out to expand middle-mile logistics possibilities across multiple sectors, with our sights on a $420Bn global total addressable market for cargo logistics across defense, commercial and rapid response.   We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe that the defense, commercial, and rapid response communities need faster, better logistics solutions. We are seeing increasing demand as customers and prospects respond enthusiastically to the systems we’ve built. As we mature and deploy our offerings, we are looking for people like you: motivated collaborators, enthusiastic about our mission and ready to roll up their sleeves and make a big impact to improve how logistics works around the world. You will play an important role in establishing the Elroy Air Chaparral as the industry standard in this massive market.   We believe diverse perspectives at all levels of the organization are critical to innovation and employee development. This includes but is not limited to gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, religion, age, ability, parenthood status, veteran status, educational background, citizenship status, or any combination of these characteristics. As a Mechanical Engineer at Elroy Air, you will be responsible for owning the design, analysis, build, and test of the flight-critical mechanical systems that bring our autonomous cargo UAV to life. You will work on a range of mechanical and structural systems, driving mechanical design and decision making that enables aircraft testing and flight. What you’ll own:

Designing and developing vehicle subsystems, including primary and secondary structures, flight control surfaces and actuation systems, landing gear, and thermal management systems from architecture definition through integration

Apply first-principles analysis, FEA, trade studies, and engineering best practices to ensure components and assemblies meet load, weight, and safety requirements for flight

Define subsystem and component requirements compatible with safety, performance, and program objectives; manage functional and physical interfaces between subsystems and the vehicle

Select materials appropriate for aerospace applications (aluminum alloys, titanium, composites) with consideration for weight, strength, fatigue, and manufacturability

Apply DFM principles across fabrication methods including composites, sheet metal, machining, 3D printing, welding, and bonding to support efficient, producible designs

Conduct environmental analysis and testing, including vibration, shock, thermal, and corrosion, and support design and build of test fixtures to verify subsystem performance and safety

Select and manage suppliers and partners to ensure components are delivered within budget, schedule, and specification

Prepare and present at gated design reviews to demonstrate design adequacy

Our ideal candidate:

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline; M.S. preferred

5+ years of hands-on experience as a professional mechanical engineer, directly related to vehicle subsystem design in the automotive, aeronautical, or space industries

Proficiency with SolidWorks and/or CATIA, including PDM/PLM and data release processes

Proficiency with MBD and GD&T (ASME Y14.5)

Experience with FEA tools (NASTRAN, ANSYS, FEMAP, or similar) for structural and thermal analysis

Strong grasp of materials selection for aerospace applications: aluminum alloys, titanium, composites, and their relevant specifications and failure modes

Experience with vibration, shock, thermal, and corrosion environmental testing and analysis

Fluency in first-principles, hand, and computer-aided analysis to guide and substantiate mechanical designs

Working knowledge of aerospace production processes and DFM trade-offs across composites, sheet metal, machining, 3D printing, welding, and bonding

Bonus points for:

Experience with lift+cruise, tiltrotor, or other eVTOL platforms

Prior design, fabrication, test, and operation of airworthy primary/secondary structures, flight control surface and actuation systems, rotors and propellers, payload handling systems, landing gear, or thermal management systems

Experience developing components for weight-constrained applications

Proficiency with FEMAP, NX Nastran, MATLAB, Mathcad, LabVIEW, and/or Python

Working knowledge of FAA Part 21 type certification processes and Part 23/Part 27 airworthiness standards, including means and methods of compliance

What we offer:

Competitive salary

Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced aerospace company

Comprehensive medical benefits

401(k) with company contribution + Roth IRA

Free daily lunch provided onsite

Flexible time-off policy

3 months of paid parental leave

Employee assistance program with 24/7 support

High-impact startup environment with significant ownership and autonomy

Opportunities for rapid career growth and internal advancement

You’ll work with a motivated, kind, and highly skilled team

You'll help shape and define our company culture and values

You'll help build and scale a new category of aerospace / logistics technology

We encourage you to apply even if you aren't an exact match for our open role as many of our team members come from nontraditional backgrounds.   Elroy Air is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.   We are committed to an inclusive, harassment-free workplace and we gladly provide reasonable accommodations to support our team. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder). All employees will be screened through E-Verify. Elroy Air does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters that we do not have a written agreement with and all employment activities are managed through our internal team. We reserve the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes received without being responsible for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes.