Lead Aeromechanical Engineer (Scottsdale)

Shape the next generation of UAVs from design through commercialization.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and visionary Lead Aeromechanical Engineer to spearhead the structural and mechanical development of our next-generation flight vehicles. In this role, you will bridge the gap between initial aerodynamic concepts and scaled production, providing both deep technical expertise and strategic leadership.

The ideal candidate brings a robust background in composite airframe development , taking structures from initial layout through full-rate production environments. While overseeing complex aeromechanical systems, you will guide a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technicians, ensuring our platforms meet stringent performance, weight, and reliability standards.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Strategy

• Drive the technical roadmap for aircraft structures and aeromechanical subsystems from conceptual architecture through detailed design, qualification, and manufacturing.
• Lead and mentor a team of structural, mechanical, and materials engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, rigorous analysis, and high workmanship standards.
• Manage technical trade-offs between aerodynamic efficiency, structural weight, manufacturing complexity, and cost.
• Oversee mid-to-large scale engineering work, coordinating seamlessly with internal cross-functional teams (avionics, propulsion, guidance) and external vendors or sub-contractors.

Composite Design & Production Integration

• Own the composite airframe life cycle , including initial structural sizing, material selection, detailed laminate design, and structural optimization.
• Bridge the gap between design and the shop floor by establishing manufacturing workflows, tooling concepts, and QA/QC parameters for composite layups, bagging, infusion, curing, and bonding.
• Develop and execute comprehensive structural test plans, including coupon-level testing, component-level testing, and full-scale vehicle structural qualification.

UAV System Development

• Adapt aerospace design philosophies to the fast-paced development cycles of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) .
• Maximize aircraft performance through innovative payload integration, environmental packaging (vibration, thermal, and shock isolation), and rapid mechanism prototyping.

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Education: Master’s or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Experience: 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in aerospace vehicle design, with a proven track record in a technical leadership or principal engineer role .
• Composite Expertise: Demonstrated success in the design, stress analysis, and production implementation of primary and secondary composite structures (carbon fiber, fiberglass, sandwich panels).
• Production Background: Hands-on experience working directly with manufacturing teams to transition composite concepts into repeatable, scalable production processes.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency with CAD software (e.g., CATIA, NX, SolidWorks) and composite design modules.
• Deep understanding of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tools (e.g., Femap, Nastran, ANSYS) for composite laminate analysis, failure criteria, and structural dynamics.
• Experience with rapid prototyping workflows, tool design, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience in the development, flight testing, and production scaling of small-to-medium Unmanned UAV systems (fixed-wing, multirotor, or eVTOL).
• Experience with defense or aerospace development programs where rapid iteration, vehicle flight speed, and agility are highly prioritized.
• Familiarity with building internal analysis tools or leveraging advanced automation/AI workflows to accelerate design verification.

About Knightwerx

Knightwerx develops American-made, AI-powered unmanned aerial systems and remote sensing technologies that support human-machine teaming in mission-critical environments. We build next-generation aerospace and autonomy solutions for both commercial and government customers where performance, speed, and reliability matter.

As a growing company, we offer the opportunity to work close to the mission, close to the product, and close to the decisions that shape what gets built.

Additional Information

• Onsite position in Scottsdale, AZ

• Relocation assistance available for this role

• US Citizenship Required

• Collaborative engineering environment