Air Vehicle Design Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in Huntington Beach, California, United States

Salary: $115,000–$150,000 for Air Vehicle Design Engineer; $155,000–$195,000 for Senior Air Vehicle Design Engineer, plus equity opportunities.

Company

hirify.global is a defense technology startup founded in 2023 that develops next-generation autonomous and decentralized defense platforms.

What you will do

• Develop overall configurations for unmanned aircraft and missile systems from mission and system requirements.
• Perform first-order vehicle sizing, layout studies, and architecture evaluations.
• Create and maintain detailed CAD models covering the outer mold line, internal packaging, and major assemblies.
• Evaluate tradeoffs involving aerodynamic performance, weight, manufacturability, modularity, and subsystem integration.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, guidance, manufacturing, and flight-test teams.
• Produce engineering drawings, support prototype fabrication, and present technical recommendations to engineering leadership.

Requirements

• Entry-level candidates: BS or MS in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a similar field, plus relevant internship, research, Formula SAE, CubeSat, UAS, or aerospace design experience.
• Senior candidates: 5+ years of experience designing aircraft, missiles, or unmanned systems.
• Experience with conceptual vehicle sizing or preliminary aircraft and missile design.
• Proficiency with NX, CATIA, Creo, or equivalent CAD software.
• Understanding of aircraft or missile geometry, packaging, and multidisciplinary design tradeoffs.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States; the role may involve U.S. export-controlled information under EAR and ITAR regulations.

Nice to have

• High-speed, high-altitude, or tactical UAS development experience.
• Low-observable design principles.
• Class A surfacing, advanced or parametric CAD, and model-based design.
• Flight-test or prototype development experience.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity participation and performance-based incentives.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement savings and paid time off.
• Funding for continuing education, training, and professional development.
• Work in a rapidly growing defense technology environment focused on national security and manufacturing innovation.