Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems. 

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in their respective industries. 

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day. 

Role Overview

Pyka is looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to join our experienced, collaborative, and highly motivated engineering team. In this role, you’ll take meaningful ownership of mechanical components and subsystems on the aircraft, supporting them from early concept through serial production and in-field support.

Our Mechanical Engineering team works closely with Manufacturing Engineers, Flight Test Engineers, and fellow Mechanical Engineers to design, test, and iterate on flight-critical hardware. This is a fast-paced, hands-on role with real impact—you’ll be trusted with significant responsibility while being supported by a team that values clear communication, iteration, and continuous learning.

You’ll have the opportunity to contribute across the full lifecycle of the aircraft, influence design decisions early, and see your work fly (literally).

Responsibilities

• Act as the Design Responsible Engineer for multiple mechanical components, from initial requirements through serial production and in-field support
• Collaborate with Senior Engineers on conceptual design, prototyping, testing, iteration, and documentation of flight-critical mechanical parts and assemblies
• Create and maintain accurate 3D CAD models, drawings, and manufacturing documentation
• Partner with manufacturing teams to develop tools and processes that enable efficient in-house production
• Communicate with external suppliers and fabricators to ensure high-quality parts are delivered on time
• Contribute to a team culture that values asking questions, sharing feedback, and solving problems collaboratively

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in mechanical design; aerospace experience is a plus but not required
• Experience designing composite structures and supporting their analysis and manufacture
• Familiarity with designing parts for a variety of manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing, CNC machining, injection molding, and sheet metal
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with comfort asking for clarification and providing thoughtful feedback
• Experience using a 3D CAD package (e.g., SolidWorks, NX, Inventor)
• Experience applying FEA and hand calculations to validate mechanical design decisions (stress, strain, thermal, fatigue)

Preferred Qualifications

• Curiosity and an eagerness to learn, with the ability to research new topics and try new approaches
• Enthusiasm for hands-on work in a prototyping or shop environment
• We understand that candidates bring different strengths and experiences, and you don’t need to meet every qualification to be considered. If this role excites you, we’d love to learn more about you. You may be a great fit even if your background doesn’t align perfectly with the list.

Compensation and Benefits

• $138,000 - 166,000 per year base salary + equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Salary ranges are subject to change.
• Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance
• FSA with employer matching
• 401(k)
• Paid holidays, generous PTO, and additional unpaid time off
• Voluntary short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls.  Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items. 

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

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We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.