WingXpand
Senior - Principal Mechanical / Aerospace Engineer
WingXpand, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63146
Senior – Principal Mechanical / Aerospace Engineer
Join to apply for the Senior – Principal Mechanical / Aerospace Engineer role at WingXpand.
Locations:
Boston (Andover), MA | Chicago (Schaumburg), IL | St. Louis, MO Type:
Full-Time & Contractor Options (Open 11/5/25 | Close 11/19/25)
About WingXpand WingXpand is Expanding What’s Possible™ with Autonomous Systems 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 startup that is creating the future of smart, connected robotics. We want you to play a key role in our journey!
Position Description We are seeking a senior or principal level drone / uncrewed aircraft vehicle (UAV) engineer to join our team to support new contract work. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and optimizing WingXpand® UAV platforms. This is a high impact role with the pathway to Chief Engineer or Director level responsibilities in the future.
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
8 - 15+ year of experience designing, testing and optimizing robotics systems, especially UAVs.
Experience with performing engineering sensitivity / trade space assessments
Expert CAD designer with experiences in Solidworks.
Strong communication and teamwork skills
Additional Qualifications
Prefer those with a background in developing robotics, especially 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
Experienced with one or more of the following: PX4, OpenVSP, AeroSandbox, XFLR5, Airfoil Tools, ANSYS Fluent, Solidworks, FEA and CFD packages.
What Else You Need To Know 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).
We offer a competitive package based on level of experience, including the possibility of WingXpand stock options and advancement opportunities as the company expands.
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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Locations:
Boston (Andover), MA | Chicago (Schaumburg), IL | St. Louis, MO Type:
Full-Time & Contractor Options (Open 11/5/25 | Close 11/19/25)
About WingXpand WingXpand is Expanding What’s Possible™ with Autonomous Systems 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 startup that is creating the future of smart, connected robotics. We want you to play a key role in our journey!
Position Description We are seeking a senior or principal level drone / uncrewed aircraft vehicle (UAV) engineer to join our team to support new contract work. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and optimizing WingXpand® UAV platforms. This is a high impact role with the pathway to Chief Engineer or Director level responsibilities in the future.
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
8 - 15+ year of experience designing, testing and optimizing robotics systems, especially UAVs.
Experience with performing engineering sensitivity / trade space assessments
Expert CAD designer with experiences in Solidworks.
Strong communication and teamwork skills
Additional Qualifications
Prefer those with a background in developing robotics, especially 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
Experienced with one or more of the following: PX4, OpenVSP, AeroSandbox, XFLR5, Airfoil Tools, ANSYS Fluent, Solidworks, FEA and CFD packages.
What Else You Need To Know 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).
We offer a competitive package based on level of experience, including the possibility of WingXpand stock options and advancement opportunities as the company expands.
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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr