Aircraft Structures Engineer

Natilus•San Diego, CA

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Natilus is building the next generation of aviation through the development of blended-wing-body aircraft, delivering a step-change in overall efficiency. Our growing family of aircraft is designed to make air travel more sustainable while fundamentally improving the economics of commercial flight and the operational effectiveness of defense logistics. By combining advanced aerodynamics with innovative design, Natilus aircraft achieve exceptional fuel efficiency, increased payload capacity, and seamless compatibility with existing airport infrastructure. With hundreds of aircraft valued in the billions of dollars already on order, we are redefining how aircraft are designed, built, and operated, representing a meaningful evolution in modern aviation Work Summary: Natilus is seeking a Aircraft Structures Engineer to join our team in San Diego, CA. In this role, you will be focused on the detailed design, analysis, and structural optimization of composite and metallic airframe components. You will take ownership of a variety of parts from initial design through to first flight, working closely with the manufacturing and analysis teams.

Requirements

Minimum of 5 years of experience as an airframe design engineer or in a closely related role
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
Strong foundational understanding of aircraft load paths and structural behavior
Experience designing bolted and bonded joints
Expert-level knowledge of composite structures, including detailed design and fabrication methods
Proficiency with NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks
Experience with rapid prototype aircraft structures from conceptual and preliminary design through build
Experience with design-for-build manufacturing, determinate assembly, manufacturing planning, and tooling design
Experience performing initial part and joint sizing using hand calculations or FEA
Familiarity with FAA Part 23 and 25 requirements

Nice To Haves

Kickoff through production program experience
Rapid prototype program experience
Hands-on build experience
Structural testing experience

Responsibilities

Apply technical knowledge to the aircraft structural design from concept through first flight
Create and maintain CAD models and drawings of advanced aircraft components and assemblies
Produce airframe structural layouts and configurations including joint layouts, preliminary structure sizing, interface controls, and assembly definitions
Develop detailed designs of composite parts for manufacturing
Coordinate and collaborate with members of the manufacturing and analysis teams
Manage tolerance stackups
Meet engineering deliverables, identify issues, and operate corrective actions as needed