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.
The Opportunity
This role owns major aircraft systems from early architecture through flight operations.
You will lead the design and development of critical mechanical systems across autonomous aircraft platforms, driving decisions that directly impact aircraft performance, reliability, manufacturability, and operational capability.
This role requires deep technical judgment, strong first-principles engineering, and the ability to move quickly through design, integration, testing, and iteration. You will work across structures, mechanisms, integration, and vehicle-level design challenges while helping guide technical direction across the broader mechanical organization.
You will collaborate closely with electrical, autonomy, manufacturing, and flight teams to develop flight-ready hardware and solve system-level problems in a fast-moving development environment.
The ideal candidate has experience leading complex hardware development programs in aerospace, robotics, automotive, or other high-performance mechanical systems.
What You'll Do:
Lead the design and development of aircraft structures, mechanisms, and integrated mechanical systems
Own major hardware systems from concept through flight testing and production release
Make system-level tradeoffs across weight, manufacturability, reliability, performance, and operational constraints
Drive CAD development, drawing release, and engineering documentation
Support aircraft integration, prototype builds, and flight test activities
Work closely with manufacturing teams to improve assembly processes and production readiness
Troubleshoot hardware issues identified during integration, testing, and flight operations
Collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, and flight teams to deliver integrated aircraft systems
Mentor engineers and help raise engineering standards across the organization
What You'll Bring:
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
8+ years of experience developing complex mechanical systems
Strong CAD experience, preferably in SolidWorks or similar tools
Experience owning hardware through the full product lifecycle from concept through deployment
Strong understanding of structures, materials, manufacturing processes, and mechanical integration
Hands-on experience with prototyping, testing, and hardware debugging
Ability to make sound engineering decisions under aggressive timelines and operational constraints
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
Experience leading technical projects or mentoring engineers
Bonus Points:
Experience with aerospace, UAV, robotics, or autonomous systems
Experience designing lightweight structures or composite assemblies
Familiarity with rapid hardware iteration and low-volume aircraft production
Experience supporting flight test or operational deployments
Experience with FEA, GD&T, or tolerance analysis
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
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
- Deep experience with mechanical design, structures, and subsystem integration
- Experience taking hardware from concept through build, testing, and deployment
- Strong system level thinking and ability to resolve complex integration challenges
- Strong track record of working directly with prototype builds, hardware integration, and test campaigns
- Ability to collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations teams
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.
-
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.
-
Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock options are offered to every employee and performance bonuses are listed; ownership upside is broadly accessible across the organization.
-
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.
Gallery
