Senior - Principal Mechanical​/Aerospace Engineer

Senior – Principal Mechanical / Aerospace Engineer

Join to apply for the Senior – Principal Mechanical / Aerospace Engineer role at Wing Xpand.

Locations: Boston (Andover), MA | Chicago (Schaumburg), IL | St. Louis, MO
Type: Full-Time & Contractor Options (Open 11/5/25 | Close 11/19/25)

Wing Xpand is Expanding What’s Possible™ with Autonomous Systems with our 8ft smart plane that expands from a backpack to help farmers grow more yield, public safety crews respond to disasters faster, and keep soldiers safe. We’re a rapidly growing startup that is creating the future of smart, connected robotics. We want you to play a key role in our journey!

We are seeking a senior or principal level drone / uncrewed aircraft vehicle (UAV) engineer to join our team to support new contract work. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and optimizing Wing Xpand® UAV platforms. This is a high impact role with the pathway to Chief Engineer or Director level responsibilities in the future.

• Design, develop and execute engineering optimization approaches for UAVs
• Test and validate aircraft design through software simulations, lab and flight tests
• Seamlessly collaborate with software and manufacturing engineers to achieve aircraft design requirements
• Select, integrate, and design aircraft payloads, sub-systems, propulsion and battery
• Leverage modeling and simulation software packages to assess aircraft stability and control, aerodynamic, and mission performance
• Validates aircraft performance through lab and flight test experiments
• Assesses aircraft structural requirements and optimizes construction to meet requirements, while minimizing weight
• Designs, develops, and tests drone / uncrewed aircraft vehicle (UAV) components to ensure they are optimized for manufacturability
• Support the creation of manufacturing production systems, balancing strength requirements, throughput requirements and cost

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely-related field
• 8 - 15+ year of experience designing, testing and optimizing robotics systems, especially UAVs.
• Experience with performing engineering sensitivity / trade space assessments
• Expert CAD designer with experiences in Solidworks.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills

• Prefer those with a background in developing robotics, especially flying drones, ideally with a Part 107 certificate
• Prefer those with a proven track record of succeeding in fast paced environments
• Prefer those with the ability to tune drone software settings and directly support flight test activities
• Experienced with one or more of the following: PX4, OpenVSP, Aero Sandbox, XFLR5, Airfoil Tools, ANSYS Fluent, Solidworks, FEA and CFD packages.

To conform to U.S. Government aerospace technology export regulations, applicant must be a 'U.S. Person' (U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident/Green Card Holder).

We offer a competitive package based on level of experience, including the possibility of Wing Xpand stock options and advancement opportunities as the company expands.

If you are a self‑motivated, results‑driven individual with a passion for innovation and technology, we want to hear from you! Apply today and join us on the journey of expanding what’s possible with aerial intelligence for those that keep our world running!

Please apply with your resume and / or CV explaining why you are the perfect candidate for this role.