Mechanical Engineer - Aircraft

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

About this role

The Aircraft Engineering team is growing across every discipline it takes to get one designed, built, tested, and flown.

We are opening roles faster than we are posting them, so this is one door into all of them. Tell us what you are good at and we will point you at the openings that fit:

• Structures design (composite and metallic primary and secondary structure)

• Stress and structural analysis

• Mechanisms and actuation (control surfaces, landing gear, doors, payload systems)

• Thermal management and environmental control

• Propulsion integration

• Fluid systems (fuel, hydraulics, pneumatics)

• Materials and processes

• Test engineering (structural test, ground test, flight test support)

If your background sits across two of these, say so. At our size that is an advantage, not a problem. Applications are reviewed by our engineering leadership on a rolling basis, and we move quickly when there is a fit.

Whatever you end up owning here, you own it end to end. It goes from CAD to a supplier to a fixture to the aircraft, and you are there for every step of that, including the ones that go wrong. The program is operated so that you will not be handed a spec and asked to fill it in. You will be in the room where the requirement gets set, arguing for the version of it you can actually build.

What you'll work on

• Design primary and secondary structure for a large autonomous aircraft

• Perform structural analysis and margin assessments on flight hardware

• Design mechanisms and integrate actuation systems

• Solve thermal and packaging challenges in tight volumes

• Build and run test campaigns that prove your designs work

• Work directly with manufacturing and suppliers to get hardware built

• Support ground and flight test operations

What we look for

• BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related engineering field

• 3+ years of experience designing, analyzing, or testing hardware. Aircraft, spacecraft, automotive, or other high-performance hardware backgrounds all apply

• Proficiency in CAD (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) and a working knowledge of GD&T

• Hands-on mindset. You have built the things you designed

• Bias toward speed. You test early and iterate rather than perfect on paper

• Ability to work onsite in Oxnard, CA

Nice to have

• Composite aircraft structure experience

• Experience with FEA tools (Nastran, Abaqus, Ansys)

• Experience taking hardware through qualification or certification

• Experience at a startup or on a small, fast-moving team

ITAR requirement

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Swarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.

What We Offer

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience

• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k

• PTO and paid sick leave

• Monthly wellness stipend

• Daily catered lunch (office)

• Paid parental leave

• Direct impact on a critical national security mission

• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems