Structural Engineer UAV H/F
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What you'll do
- Design and analyze the primary and secondary composite structures of our interceptor airframes (fuselage, wings/control surfaces, internal load-bearing components)
- Perform structural and stress analysis combining hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA) to justify margins under static, dynamic, and high-acceleration loads
- Define and document load paths, free-body diagrams, and failure modes for all major structural elements
- Own composite laminate design, layup schedules, and bonding/joining strategies for carbon fiber structures
- Aggressively optimize structural weight without compromising strength, given the platform's speed and maneuverability requirements
- Work with Aerodynamics and Propulsion teams to balance structural mass, CG, and vibration constraints against flight performance targets
- Evaluate design trade-offs between composite and metallic/CNC solutions where each makes sense
- Support structural, vibration, shock, and environmental qualification testing of airframe components and subassemblies
- Analyze test and flight data to identify failure modes
- Support fast structural repairs and troubleshooting during flight test campaigns
- Work directly with manufacturing partners and internal fabrication teams to ensure designs are manufacturable, repeatable, and cost-effective at scale
- Get hands-on with composite fabrication and bonding to understand how parts are actually built, not just how they're modeled
What they're looking for
- 3+ years’ experience in aerospace or aircraft structural engineering, ideally including UAV/drone platforms
- Demonstrated experience analysing and sizing airframe structures for aerodynamic, manoeuvre, propulsion, and inertial loads, with the ability to interpret, validate, and apply aircraft aerodynamic load cases
- Proficiency in finite element analysis (FEA) for static strength, stiffness, buckling and vibration modelling
- Strong CAD capability (e.g. CATIA, SolidWorks, Autodesk or comparable tools), with the ability to support detailed design and internal component integration
- Experience designing lightweight carbon-fibre composite structures, including laminate design and sandwich panels and knowledge of composite manufacturing methods and processes
- Experience designing parts for polymer 3D printed components, with a practical understanding of print orientation and load paths
- Ability to perform hand calculations and correlate analytical results with FEA and structural test data
- Strong communication and multidisciplinary collaboration skills across aerodynamics, systems and manufacturing teams
Nice to have
- Familiarity with UAV/drone specific integration challenges, including payloads, batteries, avionics, propulsion mounting, and practical field repairability, would be a strong advantage
- Experience with aeroelasticity analysis, including flutter, divergence, structural deflection, and vibration assessment, would be a strong advantage
Summarised by NextRaise from the employer’s description, which follows in full below.
Full description from employer
About Alta Ares
Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.
Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.
ROLE & Missions:
STRUCTURAL DESIGN & ANALYSIS
Design and analyze the primary and secondary composite structures of our interceptor airframes (fuselage, wings/control surfaces, internal load-bearing components)
Perform structural and stress analysis combining hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA) to justify margins under static, dynamic, and high-acceleration loads
Define and document load paths, free-body diagrams, and failure modes for all major structural elements
Own composite laminate design, layup schedules, and bonding/joining strategies for carbon fiber structures
WEIGHT & PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION
Aggressively optimize structural weight without compromising strength, given the platform's speed and maneuverability requirements
Work with Aerodynamics and Propulsion teams to balance structural mass, CG, and vibration constraints against flight performance targets
Evaluate design trade-offs between composite and metallic/CNC solutions where each makes sense
TESTING & VALIDATION
Support structural, vibration, shock, and environmental qualification testing of airframe components and subassemblies
Analyze test and flight data to identify failure modes, including:
Fatigue and fracture
CG shifts
Vibration-induced damage
Support fast structural repairs and troubleshooting during flight test campaigns
MANUFACTURABILITY & PRODUCTION
Work directly with manufacturing partners and internal fabrication teams to ensure designs are manufacturable, repeatable, and cost-effective at scale
Get hands-on with composite fabrication and bonding to understand how parts are actually built, not just how they're modeled
Support the transition of airframe structures from prototype to serial production
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION
Work closely with Aerodynamics, Propulsion, and Manufacturing engineers to resolve cross-disciplinary design conflicts
Communicate structural decisions and analysis clearly to non-structural stakeholders
Contribute to design reviews and structural documentation standards as the team scales
CANDIDATE PROFILE
3+ years’ experience in aerospace or aircraft structural engineering, ideally including UAV/drone platforms
Demonstrated experience analysing and sizing airframe structures for aerodynamic, manoeuvre, propulsion, and inertial loads, with the ability to interpret, validate, and apply aircraft aerodynamic load cases
Proficiency in finite element analysis (FEA) for static strength, stiffness, buckling and vibration modelling
Strong CAD capability (e.g. CATIA, SolidWorks, Autodesk or comparable tools), with the ability to support detailed design and internal component integration
Familiarity with UAV/drone specific integration challenges, including payloads, batteries, avionics, propulsion mounting, and practical field repairability, would be a strong advantage
Experience designing lightweight carbon-fibre composite structures, including laminate design and sandwich panels and knowledge of composite manufacturing methods and processes
Experience designing parts for polymer 3D printed components, with a practical understanding of print orientation and load paths
Ability to perform hand calculations and correlate analytical results with FEA and structural test data
Strong communication and multidisciplinary collaboration skills across aerodynamics, systems and manufacturing teams
Experience with aeroelasticity analysis, including flutter, divergence, structural deflection, and vibration assessment, would be a strong advantage
Company
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