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Flight Research Senior Structures Design Engineer

Joby Barnard
Santa Cruz, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 3/11/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/12/2025

Overview

Joby's Flight Research group is looking for a talented, driven and motivated individual to lead the structures design effort, creating innovative aircraft configurations while maintaining structural integrity. This individual should be capable of and excited by the prospect of working hands-on to loft exotic airframe shapes and think outside the box with how to design internal load paths to support them. As a small, agile, and cohesive team, we value candidates who exhibit initiative, adaptability, and the capacity to handle a broad range of tasks to sustain the program's momentum.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design and development of aerospace vehicle primary and secondary structures.
  • Use 3DX (CATIA) and associated tools to develop and maintain detailed engineering models, drawings, specifications, and other technical documentation.
  • Collaborate with aerodynamicists to shape aerospace vehicle outer mold lines (OMLs) while balancing structural integrity requirements for stiffness and strength.
  • Leverage the CATIA CAA API to create and maintain software tools to streamline the workflow of both the design engineering team as well as increase efficiency of data transfer between both upstream (aero / loads / stress) and downstream (manufacturing) counterparts.
  • Coordinate closely with stress analysts to ensure safety-critical details are translated into the overall design and that desired load paths are facilitated within the confines of the vehicle configuration.
  • As the owner of the integrated vehicle model, proactively maintain a close partnership with other disciplines (aero, manufacturing, mechanical systems, test) to ensure issues such as clashes or required penetrations in structure are solved before parts are physically built.
  • Estimate and track aircraft weight and balance throughout the life-cycle of a program.
  • Conduct design reviews and present technical findings to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Support design efforts on programs from "cradle to grave" - adapting to the specific needs of the team as a project progresses from concept through the various review gates and into build and test.
  • Mentor junior engineers and flow-down technical guidance and methods to improve the state-of-the-art across the organization.

Required

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field of study.
  • 10 years of professional experience working in aerostructures design.
  • Intimate knowledge of CATIA software suite (v5 or 3DX).
  • Ability to loft non-standard shapes and create surfaces fit for composite tooling from rough aero / CFD models.
  • Strong understanding of mechanical engineering fundamentals including statics and mechanics of materials.
  • Ability to make effective trades between typical constraints such as weight, performance, risk, cost, and timeline.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Self-motivated with a strong work ethic and a bias towards action.
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Desire to wear multiple hats tackling cross functional tasks.
  • This position must meet US export control compliance requirements, therefore a candidate must qualify as a "US Person" as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15. "US Person" includes US Citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees.

    Desired

  • Broad experience with many different vehicle configurations and levels of rigor, from experimental prototypes to part 23 certified designs.
  • Solid understanding of the CATIA CAA API and proven ability to use it to create time-saving tools to aid both the design engineering team as well as the broader group.
  • Ability to determine critical load paths and intuit most efficient structural shapes for a given loading scenario.
  • Extensive experience with composite materials and manufacturing processes, as well as general aerospace structures manufacturing rules of thumb.
  • Compensation

    Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $140,500 - $187,400 / yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

    Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

    EEO : Joby Aviation is an equal opportunity employer.

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    Salary : $140,500 - $187,400

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