Staff Mechanical Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 31, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 17, 2026. Skyways scores A on the Alion truth index.
The Opportunity
Skyways is hiring a Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead the architecture and development of critical aircraft systems. This role owns complex hardware from early concept through build, testing, and flight validation.
Staff engineers play a key role in defining mechanical design strategy across the aircraft, helping guide subsystem architecture, resolving system level challenges, and supporting engineers across the team. This role requires deep technical expertise and the ability to move quickly through design, build, and test cycles.
What You'll Do:
Lead the architecture, design, integration, and validation of critical aircraft structures
Own complex aircraft hardware from early concept through detailed design, prototype build, ground test, flight test, and iteration
Drive system level integration across structures, avionics, propulsion, and payload systems, to resolve interface, packaging, and performance tradeoffs
Partner closely with manufacturing to ensure designs are buildable, testable, and capable of scaling from prototype to repeatable production
Participate in aircraft builds, integration efforts, and flight test campaigns
Mentor engineers and help define engineering standards and best practices
Help identify and resolve system level design challenges across the aircraft
What You'll Bring:
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
Deep experience designing aircraft or flight vehicle structures, mechanisms, and subsystem integration
Track record of owning novel hardware from a blank page, including the first principles sizing, loads analysis, and trade studies that set the design, not just execution within an existing architecture
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, not just analysis or documentation
Ability to collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations teams
Bonus Points:
Experience with composite structures or lightweight aerospace systems
Experience leading hardware development in robotics, aerospace, or autonomous systems
Experience working in startup or rapid hardware development environments