Aerospace Engineer II

Company Description
Purple Rhombus designs, builds, manufactures, and tests unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for U.S. government and commercial customers. Focused on producibility, Purple Rhombus aircraft are engineered for scalable manufacture, rapid deployment, and mission-ready performance. We are seeking mission-driven individuals to join the team to build the next generation of unmanned aircraft.
Position Overview
The Level 2 Aerospace Engineer supports the design, analysis, and documentation of airframe and structural components for Purple Rhombus unmanned aircraft systems. Working with general direction, this engineer owns moderately complex components and subsystems end-to-end — from concept and analysis through released, manufacturing-ready drawings. The role also contributes to the design of ground support equipment across the full UAS concept of operations, ensuring solutions integrate cleanly with the aircraft and the broader mission. This engineer contributes substantively to design reviews and partners closely with manufacturing and test to bring producible hardware to the field. It is an opportunity to build technical depth and ownership on programs that move quickly from design to flight.
Key Responsibilities
Airframe and Structural Design. Develop and detail airframe and structural components for unmanned aircraft using 3D CAD (SolidWorks), taking moderately complex components and subsystems from concept through released design and producing manufacturing-ready engineering drawings.
Structural and Mechanical Analysis. Perform hand calculations and analysis to size and substantiate structures, including free-body-diagram-based load-path analysis grounded in solid mechanics, with appropriate consideration of fluid mechanics and aircraft performance.
Ground Support Equipment and ConOps Support. Design ground support equipment and related hardware spanning the full UAS concept of operations, ensuring solutions integrate with the aircraft and the wider operational system.
Documentation and Configuration Management. Create and maintain engineering drawings, analysis records, and design documentation, and manage data within company file-share systems and CAD PDM vaults to keep configuration controlled and current.
Design Review and Collaboration. Contribute substantively to peer and design reviews — both presenting your own work and reviewing others’ — communicating technical results clearly and integrating feedback across engineering, manufacturing, and test.
Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• Typically 2–5 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software, SolidWorks preferred.
• Demonstrated experience creating engineering drawings, including dimensioning and tolerancing.
• Strong understanding of solid mechanics (particularly free-body-diagram construction), fluid mechanics, and aircraft performance.
• Working knowledge of peer review cycles and how to conduct design reviews.
• Experience with file-share systems and CAD PDM vaults.
• Strong engineering communication skills.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined under U.S. export-control regulations (ITAR/EAR).

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) proficiency.
• Hands-on FEA and/or CFD experience.
• Experience with unmanned aircraft or other aircraft / aerospace programs.
• Experience designing ground support equipment or other mechanical ground hardware.

Competencies and Attributes

• Hands-on engineering judgment with a bias toward designed for manufacturing (DFM) hardware.
• Ability to translate requirements into structured analysis and clean, manufacturable designs.
• Clear written and verbal communication, especially in reviews and documentation.
• Ownership of and follow-through on assigned components and subsystems.
• Growing comfort working through loosely defined problems with general direction.

Equal Opportunity
Purple Rhombus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.