Mechanical Engineer, Drone
Join Applied Intuition as a Mechanical Engineer to design and improve drone platforms in a hands-on role.
Posted by employer 17 hours ago
First seen on Joblaze 8 hours ago
Last verified on the company career page 8 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Own the mechanical design of drone platforms
- Make tradeoffs between weight, strength, and aerodynamics
- Integrate propulsion, batteries, and avionics into airframe
- Perform structural, thermal, and vibration analysis
- Prototype quickly and support flight testing
Must have
- BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering or related field
- 5+ years of experience designing hardware
- Hands-on experience designing flight vehicles
- Strong understanding of aircraft flight principles
- Experience designing lightweight structures
- Proficiency in CAD, SolidWorks preferred
Nice to have
- Ability to support flight test and field operations
- Experience designing custom cable harnesses
- Demonstrated experience in FEA/CAE
Practical constraints
- In-office work 5 days a week
Requirements
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
Not disclosed in this posting: compensation, visa sponsorship.
Joblaze summary
In the role of Mechanical Engineer for the drone program at Applied Intuition, the individual will focus on designing and refining the airframe and mechanical systems essential for aircraft performance. Key skills include expertise in lightweight structures, CAD proficiency, and hands-on experience with flight vehicles, particularly in the context of drones or UAS. This position is suited for a seasoned engineer with at least five years of relevant experience, capable of navigating the complexities of aerodynamics and structural integrity. The company emphasizes a collaborative environment, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure mission success.
Joblaze insights
- Listed today — first seen on Joblaze October 15, 2026. Last confirmed on Applied Intuition's careers page October 15, 2026.
- Mechanical Engineering appears in 4.4% of 3066 comparable mid other roles in United States; Aerospace Engineering appears in 1.9% of 3066 comparable mid other roles in United States.
Quick facts
- Is the Mechanical Engineer, Drone role remote?
- No — this is an on-site role in Sunnyvale, California, United States.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 5 years of relevant experience for this Mechanical Engineer, Drone role.
- Where is the role based?
- Applied Intuition is hiring for this position in Sunnyvale, California, United States.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace Engineering, CAD, Mechanical Engineering, Solidworks.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Applied Intuition targets mid-level candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Mechanical Engineer, Drone role at Applied Intuition.
From the original posting
About the role
As a Mechanical Engineer on our drone program, you will help figure out how to make our aircraft fly: designing the airframe, structures, and mechanical systems that let our autonomy take to the air. You will be part of the full product design lifecycle, from concept and prototype through flight test and production, and your work will directly shape how our uncrewed aircraft perform. You will design lightweight, durable hardware, build it, fly it, break it, and make it better.
At Applied Intuition, you will:
Own the mechanical design of our drone platforms, including airframe, fuselage, wings or rotor arms, landing gear, and structural components
Make the tradeoffs between weight, strength, aerodynamics, flight time, and payload capacity that determine whether an aircraft flies well
Integrate propulsion, batteries, avionics, and payloads into the airframe, including packaging, mounting, cooling, and cable routing
Perform structural, thermal, and vibration analysis, and use flight and test data to validate and improve the design
Prototype quickly: build, assemble, and iterate on real hardware, and support flight testing and field operations
Analyze failures and crashes, drive root cause, and turn lessons into design improvements
Own the design, analysis, and validation at the component, assembly, and fully integrated aircraft level
Design for manufacturability, repairability, and field serviceability
Work cross-functionally with autonomy, avionics, electrical, software, and flight test teams to make sure designs meet mission requirements
We're looking for someone who has:
BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
5+ years of experience designing hardware and shipping products, ideally for drones, UAS, or aircraft
Hands-on experience designing flight vehicles or flight-critical structures, such as airframes, wings, fuselages, rotor arms, or landing gear
Strong understanding of what makes an aircraft fly: weight, structures, aerodynamic loads, stability, and propulsion integration
Experience designing lightweight structures, including composites, carbon fiber, and aerospace-grade metals
Experience with design for manufacturing across methods such as CNC machining, composite layup, sheet metal, and additive manufacturing
Proficiency in CAD, SolidWorks preferred, for 3D design and modification
Hands-on prototyping and fabrication skills, and comfort building and testing real aircraft
Nice to have:
Ability to support flight test and field operations, including setting up devices under test, running test scripts from test engineers, and writing clear documentation for test, maintenance, safety, and team processes
Experience designing, drawing, and prototyping custom cable harnesses
Demonstrated experience in FEA/CAE (structural, thermal, vibration, and shock)
Standard company text repeated across Applied Intuition's postings is omitted here.