at WingXpand
Locations: Chicago, IL | St. Louis, MO
Type: Full-time

About WingXpand

WingXpand is expanding what’s possible with drones with our 8ft smart plane that expands from a backpack to help farmers grow more yield, public safety crews respond to disasters faster, and keep soldiers safe.

We’re a rapidly growing, Techstars backed, startup that is creating the future of aerial intelligence, anywhere, at any time. We want you to play a key role in our journey!

Position Description

We are seeking an experienced drone / uncrewed aircraft vehicle (UAV) engineer to join our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and optimizing WingXpand™ UAV platform designs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, develop and execute engineering optimization approaches for UAVs

• Test and validate aircraft design through software simulations, lab and flight tests

• Seamlessly collaborate with software and manufacturing engineers to achieve aircraft design requirements

• Select, integrate, and design aircraft payloads, sub-systems, propulsion and battery

• Leverage modeling and simulation software packages to assess aircraft stability and control, aerodynamic, and mission performance

• Validates aircraft performance through lab and flight test experiments

• Assesses aircraft structural requirements and optimizes construction to meet requirements, while minimizing weight

• Designs, develops, and tests drone / uncrewed aircraft vehicle (UAV) components to ensure they are optimized for manufacturability

• Support the creation of manufacturing production systems, balancing strength requirements, throughput requirements and cost

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely-related field

• 5+ year of experience designing, testing and optimizing fixed wing UAVs.

• Experience with performing engineering sensitivity / trade space assessments and making design updates in CAD

• Experienced with one or more of the following: PX4, OpenVSP, AeroSandbox, XFLR5, Airfoil Tools, ANSYS Fluent, Solidworks, Fusion 360, FEA and CFD packages.

• Strong communication and teamwork skills

• Prefer those with a background in developing and flying drones, ideally with a Part 107 certificate

• Prefer those with a proven track record of succeeding in fast paced environments

• Prefer those with the ability to tune drone software settings and directly support flight test activities

What Else You Need to Know

We offer a competitive package based on level of experience, including Health, Vision, Dental Insurance, Unlimited PTO, the possibility of WingXpand stock options and advancement opportunities.

If you are a self-motivated, results-driven individual with a passion for innovation and technology, we want to hear from you! Apply today and join us on the journey of expanding what’s possible with aerial intelligence for those that keep our world running!

Please apply with your resume and / or CV explaining why you are the perfect candidate for this role.

To conform to U.S. Government aerospace technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident/Green Card Holder)