Our V2 aircraft carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles, while our next-generation V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000+ miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a hybrid-electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long-range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure.
Today, Skyways aircraft operate across three continents in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight and in support of U.S. military operations. We are transitioning from prototype development to full-rate production and scaling toward large autonomous cargo fleets.
Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is creating a new form of transportation to advance our civilization from Austin, Texas.
What You Will Do:
- Build and lead Skyways’ Quality Assurance function from the ground up.
- Create and implement a complete Quality Management System covering receiving, development, production, and final delivery.
- Establish clear inspection and documentation processes at every step, from parts arriving to aircraft shipping out.
- Partner with production and engineering to define QA checkpoints, resolve issues, and drive root cause improvements.
- Manage supplier quality and incoming inspection programs.
- Ensure documentation, traceability, and accountability through every build.
- Prepare the company for FAA, DoD, and ISO audits.
- Build a culture where quality and speed coexist.
What You Will Bring:
- 8+ years of experience in quality assurance or quality engineering in aerospace, defense, or automotive manufacturing.
- Proven experience setting up and scaling QMS processes in a production environment.
- Deep understanding of AS9100, ISO 9001, or equivalent frameworks.
- Hands on approach to solving production and supplier issues.
- Ability to collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and flight teams.
- Strong documentation habits and attention to detail.
- Passion for aviation and for building real systems that fly.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident due to ITAR regulations.
Bonus Points If You Have:
- Experience bringing new aircraft or complex systems into production.
- Familiarity with UAV operations, flight testing, or airworthiness certification.
- Startup experience building quality programs from zero.
Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!
Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.
Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of experience in quality assurance or quality engineering in aerospace, defense, or automotive manufacturing
- Proven experience setting up and scaling QMS processes in a production environment
- Deep understanding of AS9100, ISO 9001, or equivalent frameworks
- Hands on approach to solving production and supplier issues
- Ability to collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and flight teams
- Strong documentation habits and attention to detail
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident due to ITAR regulations
Skyways Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Skyways and has not been reviewed or approved by Skyways.
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Healthcare Strength — Employee medical and dental are employer-paid with additional vision and HSA/FSA options noted; core health coverage appears strong for a hardware/robotics startup.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock options are offered to every employee and performance bonuses are listed; ownership upside is broadly accessible across the organization.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is described as generous, with paid holidays and generous parental leave highlighted; the breadth of leave supports work-life needs beyond baseline policies.
Skyways Insights
What We Do
We are creating a new form of transportation to advance the future of our civilization. Our story starts with fully autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicles with vertical take-off and landing capability and used for cargo transportation.
Why Work With Us
We are creating a new form of transportation to advance the future of our civilization. Skyways is building fully autonomous cargo aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capability to transform how goods move. Join a small, ambitious team solving hard aerospace and autonomy problems with real world impact.
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