🛩️ Principal Mechanical Engineer, Aircraft Structures
📍 Los Angeles County, CA
💼 Full-time | On-site
Position Overview
My client is an advanced aviation startup developing zero-emission aircraft that will transform the future of flight! They're seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, analysis, and development of mechanical hardware for primary and secondary aircraft structures.
Ideal candidates will have experience in certified aircraft structures within general aviation, Part 23 aircraft, or aircraft modification environments, including work with OEMs, STC holders, or MRO/modification providers. Experience with platforms such as the Cessna Caravan, Cessna SkyCourier, Cirrus aircraft, or similar utility/general aviation aircraft is highly relevant.
You’ll own structural hardware from prototype through certification, support FAA documentation and compliance, work closely with manufacturing and test teams, and help mentor a growing mechanical engineering team.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead structural design and development for primary and secondary aircraft structures, from conceptual design through release, test, certification support, and production implementation.
- Perform and review structural analysis using hand calculations and FEA.
- Develop FAA-conforming structural designs and support conformity, certification, and production readiness activities for modified aircraft platforms.
- Author and maintain engineering drawings, stress reports, substantiation packages, test plans, test reports, and certification support documentation in accordance with FAA requirements.
- Define materials, processes, inspection criteria, and quality requirements for metallic and composite aircraft structural components.
- Develop manufacturing plans and support prototype and low-rate production builds.
- Plan and oversee structural test campaigns, including qualification and acceptance testing.
- Support MRB activity, nonconformance disposition, repair disposition, and production/field issue resolution for aircraft structural hardware.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, certification, flight test, systems, and program teams to ensure structural designs are compliant.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to continuous improvement of design processes.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in aircraft structural design, analysis, fabrication, validation, and certification support.
- Experience developing FAA-conforming aircraft structural parts, assemblies, or modifications.
- Experience with certified aircraft structures, Part 23 aircraft, STC programs, or structural modifications to existing aircraft platforms.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks), hand calcs, and FEA tools.
- Strong understanding of metallic and composite aircraft structures, including material selection, design allowables, fabrication methods, and inspection considerations.
- Working knowledge of aircraft drafting standards, GD&T, and ANSI / ASME Y14.5.
- Experience supporting prototype fabrication, manufacturing release, structural testing, MRB dispositions, and production support for aircraft hardware.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment where ownership, practical execution, and resourcefulness are essential.
Desired Qualifications
- Direct experience with STC programs, aircraft modification programs, or FAA-approved structural modifications to Cessna Caravan or comparable aircraft.
- 10+ years of aircraft structures experience, including full lifecycle involvement from design and analysis through certification, production, and field support.
- Prior experience mentoring or technically leading junior engineers, designers, analysts, or drafters.
- FAA Structural DER authorization or close working experience with DERs or certification authorities.
- Hands-on composite fabrication experience.
- Structural qualification test experience, including test planning, execution support, data review, and report generation.
- Proficiency with NX, Nastran, Altair, or other advanced CAD/FEA tools.
- Familiarity with thermal and structural design considerations for nacelles, cowls, engine enclosures, or propulsion integration hardware.
- Familiarity with requirements management, configuration control, engineering release processes, and project/program management tools.
🌟If you enjoy practical, certifiable aircraft modification work, can operate hands-on in a fast-paced environment, and comfortable mentoring junior engineers while directly owning structural design, analysis, documentation, test, and certification deliverable, this role is for you! 🌟
