About Us:
Natilus is building the next generation of aviation through the development of blended-wing-body aircraft, delivering a step-change in overall efficiency. Our growing family of aircraft is designed to make air travel more sustainable while fundamentally improving the economics of commercial flight and the operational effectiveness of defense logistics.
By combining advanced aerodynamics with innovative design, Natilus aircraft achieve exceptional fuel efficiency, increased payload capacity, and seamless compatibility with existing airport infrastructure. With hundreds of aircraft valued in the billions of dollars already on order, we are redefining how aircraft are designed, built, and operated, representing a meaningful evolution in modern aviation
Job Summary:
Natilus is seeking a Structures Designer to join our team in San Diego, CA. In this role, you will be responsible for CAD-based structural design, model management, drafting standards development, and coordination with manufacturing. You will work across composite and metallic structures while contributing to CAD process optimization to support efficient, high-quality model development
Key Responsibilities:
· Leading company CAD efforts
· Design and develop composite and metallic primary and secondary structures
· Model management
· Drafting standards development
· Coordinate with manufacturing
· CAD process development
· Communicate and collaborate closely with the engineering team and cross functional groups
Requirements
· Minimum of 2 years of experience as a Structures designer or in a closely related role
· Strong foundational understanding of aircraft load paths and structural behavior
· Strong foundational understanding of parametric CAD model development and management
· Experience designing bolted and bonded joints
· Expert-level knowledge of composite structures, including detailed design and fabrication methods
· Proficiency with NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks
· Experience with rapid prototype aircraft structures from conceptual and preliminary design through build
· Hands-on experience with design-for-build manufacturing, determinate assembly, manufacturing planning, and tooling design
Core Behaviors:
· Builds trust through ownership, transparency, and follow-through
· Communicates clearly, directly, and respectfully across teams
· Proven ability to lead by example and model expected behaviors
· Ability to give and receive direct, constructive feedback
· Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with evolving priorities
Travel Requirements:
· Occasional travel and on-site work at the local hangar may be required
Benefits
- Health Care Plan - Medical, Dental & Vision
- Retirement Plan - 401(k) and Roth option
- Life Insurance - Voluntary & AD&D
- Paid Time Off - Unlimited
- Company Provided Snacks and Beverages
- Stock Options
- Onsite Gym Access
Skills Required
- Minimum 2 years of experience as a structures designer or in a closely related role
- Foundational understanding of aircraft load paths and structural behavior
- Foundational understanding of parametric CAD model development and management
- Experience designing bolted and bonded joints
- Expert-level knowledge of composite structures, including detailed design and fabrication methods
- Proficiency with NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks
- Experience with rapid-prototype aircraft structures from conceptual and preliminary design through build
- Hands-on experience with design-for-build manufacturing, determinate assembly, manufacturing planning, and tooling design
What We Do
NATILUS is a small and growing team of extremely passionate engineers working on re-thinking the next generation of freight aircraft. We are builders and designers who have worked on 25+ aircraft programs in general aviation, commercial and military aviation. We believe that reducing the cost of air freight by 60% will bring fresher produce into our stores, enable cross-border e-commerce to flourish and enable low infrastructure regions to develop. To make that happen, we need a new type of vehicle and a different way of thinking.
