Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. We have been flying real missions with real customers since 2017.
Our V2 carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles and our V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000 miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a dual-hybrid design that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane. We are currently flying on three continents, in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight, and in support of U.S. military operations.
Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M STRATFI contract from the U.S. Air Force, we are moving from prototype to full-rate production with a path to Program of Record. Based in Austin, we are scaling fast and hiring people who want to build the world's largest fleet of autonomous logistics aircraft.
The Opportunity
Skyways is hiring Mechanical Engineers to help design and build the physical systems that make our aircraft fly. Engineers in this role work directly with hardware and see their designs move quickly from concept to prototype, aircraft integration, ground testing, and flight.
You will design components, support aircraft builds, and help test and improve hardware based on real world performance. The role sits close to manufacturing and flight operations, giving engineers direct feedback on how their designs perform in the field.
This role is a strong fit for engineers who enjoy building real hardware and iterating quickly through the full design, build, and test cycle.
What You'll Do:
Design mechanical components and assemblies for aircraft structures and subsystem integration.
Build prototypes, support aircraft integration, and iterate designs based on manufacturing, testing, and flight performance
Create CAD models, drawings, and documentation used during aircraft builds.
Work closely with electrical, software, manufacturing, and flight teams to ensure hardware performs reliably in real operations.
Design test stands, write test plans, and conduct test campaigns to characterize subsystem performance.
What You'll Bring:
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
Experience designing mechanical components and assemblies using CAD tools such as SolidWorks or similar
Experience building or prototyping hardware and working directly with physical systems during integration or testing
Strong problem solving skills and first principles
Comfort working in a fast moving engineering environment where designs evolve quickly
Ability to collaborate across engineering disciplines to solve system level problems
Interest in working on aircraft, robotics, or other complex hardware systems
Bonus Points:
Experience designing and building hardware for aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems
Experience supporting prototype builds, integration, or hardware testing
Experience with composite structures or lightweight mechanical systems
Startup or early stage hardware company experience where engineers work directly with builds and testing
