Senior / Principal Airframe Design Engineer

As a Senior or Principal Airframe Design Engineer, you will lead the design, integration, and development of primary and secondary aircraft structures for Electra's nine-passenger EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft. You will drive structural design activities from concept through detailed design, testing, certification, and production readiness, collaborating with aerodynamics, systems, propulsion, stress, certification, manufacturing, and supplier teams. Your work will ensure aircraft structures meet performance, safety, manufacturability, weight, and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of primary and secondary aircraft structures, including fuselage, wing, empennage, and landing gear integration
• Own structural design activities from concept development through detailed design, certification, and production support
• Define structural requirements, design criteria, material selections, and architecture decisions supporting airworthiness requirements
• Develop high-quality engineering deliverables including:
• 3D CAD models
• Engineering drawings
• Interface Control Documents (ICDs)
• Design reports
• Configuration-controlled product definition
• Execute trade studies evaluating materials, manufacturing methods, configurations, and integration approaches to optimize weight, cost, manufacturability, and performance
• Collaborate closely with aerodynamics, propulsion, systems, stress, manufacturing, supplier, and certification teams to develop integrated design solutions
• Support structural analysis activities by partnering with stress engineers on static strength, fatigue, durability, and load path considerations
• Participate in and present at major design reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, and certification reviews
• Support supplier selection, technical oversight, manufacturability assessments, and design issue resolution
• Contribute to design-for-manufacturability, design-to-cost, and production readiness initiatives
• Help establish and improve structural design processes, standards, tools, and best practices
• Stay informed on emerging aircraft technologies, advanced materials, manufacturing methods, and certification requirements

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• Experience in aircraft structural design, airframe development, and system integration
• Strong understanding of metallic and composite aircraft structures
• Demonstrated experience supporting conceptual, preliminary, and detailed aircraft design
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools, preferably Siemens NX or CATIA V5/V6
• Familiarity with FAA Part 23 and/or Part 25 certification requirements
• Working knowledge of:
• Aircraft loads
• Structural analysis fundamentals
• Fatigue and durability considerations
• Structural integration principles
• Experience creating aerospace engineering drawings and configuration-controlled design documentation
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities and execute effectively in a fast-paced development environment
• Experience working within multidisciplinary aircraft development teams

Nice to have

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline
• Experience supporting aircraft development programs from concept through certification and production
• Experience with hybrid-electric, eSTOL, eVTOL, or advanced air mobility aircraft programs
• Familiarity with composite manufacturing processes such as AFP, infusion, or hand layup
• Experience using finite element analysis tools such as NASTRAN, FEMAP, or HyperMesh
• Experience with weight optimization, design-for-manufacturability, and design-to-cost initiatives
• Familiarity with requirements management and PLM tools such as JAMA or Teamcenter
• Experience collaborating with suppliers on design, fabrication, tooling, or integration activities
• Private pilot certificate or a strong passion for aviation

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
• Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
• Paid winter break
• 401(k) with immediate vesting
• Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
• Free on-site parking