Structural Engineer (Composite Airframes)

Location: Toulouse, France; on-site

Company

hirify.global develops AI-guided interceptors for countering drones and cruise missiles, together with the software platform that powers them.

What you will do

• Design and analyze primary and secondary composite structures for interceptor airframes, including fuselages, wings, control surfaces, and internal load-bearing components.
• Perform hand calculations and finite element analysis to justify structural margins under static, dynamic, and high-acceleration loads.
• Own composite laminate designs, layup schedules, bonding strategies, load paths, failure modes, and structural documentation.
• Optimize structural weight while balancing strength, center of gravity, vibration constraints, and flight performance with Aerodynamics and Propulsion teams.
• Support structural, vibration, shock, environmental, and flight testing, including failure analysis, troubleshooting, and rapid repairs.
• Work with manufacturing partners and fabrication teams to transition airframe structures from prototypes to repeatable, cost-effective serial production.

Requirements

• More than 3 years of experience as a Structures Engineer, Stress Engineer, or Structural Analyst, ideally on aircraft, UAVs, or other flight vehicles.
• Engineering degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of classical stress analysis, including free-body diagrams, load paths, and hand calculations.
• Practical experience with FEA tools such as NX Nastran, FEMAP, ANSYS, Simcenter 3D, or equivalent.
• Experience with composite materials, laminate design, bonding and joining techniques, and CAD tools such as Siemens NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks.
• Fluent English required; the role is based on-site in Toulouse.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience with composite fabrication, including layup, vacuum bagging, and curing.
• Familiarity with composite-specific CAD tools such as Fibersim.
• Experience designing high-speed, high-acceleration, expendable, or attritable aircraft.
• Experience taking structures from concept through flight and exposure to military or defense-grade qualification standards.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-moving startup environment with tight timelines and evolving requirements.
• Hands-on work with physical aerospace hardware, composite fabrication, and flight-test campaigns.
• Cross-functional collaboration with Aerodynamics, Propulsion, and Manufacturing engineers.
• Opportunity to contribute to international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.