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Orb Aerospace

Merit-based aviation manufacturing fellowship

Aeromechanical/Composite Structures Engineer

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
$80k - $120k/yr+ 3% 401(k) Match
Mid
Bachelor's
Lowell, MI, USA
In PersonIn person only; may be required to travel for demonstrations.
Aerospace EngineeringMaterials & Structures
No H1B Sponsorship
US Citizenship Required

About the job

Requirements
  • A Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field is required.
  • At least 3 years of relevant industry experience is required; the qualifications specify 2–5 years of work experience.
  • Experience designing and fabricating composite and metallic aircraft and aircraft parts is required.
  • Hands-on fabrication skills using composite materials, CNC machines, 3D printers, lathes, mills, welders, or other shop equipment are required.
  • Understanding of industry design and documentation standards, including GD&T, ASME, ASTM, and ISO, is required.
  • Familiarity with aircraft design and certification requirements is required.
  • Familiarity with Siemens NX, TeamCenter, and Fibersim is required.
  • Experience in prototype manufacturing in a fast-paced environment, including creating MBOMs and GD&T-compliant engineering drawings for fabrication shop handoff, is required.
  • Proficiency in CAD workflows, authoring processes, and equipment documentation is required.
  • Experience executing projects from initial ideation to decommissioning is required.
  • Experience with structural analysis using classical methods and FEA tools such as NASTRAN, FEMAP, or Ansys is required.
  • Experience in the mechanical design and fabrication of heavily loaded structures and components, as well as high-precision components, is required.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
  • The role requires the ability to scale responsibilities as the team and company grow.
Responsibilities
  • Design and analyze composite and metallic aircraft structures using classical and finite element methods.
  • Support requirements definition, conceptual and preliminary layout, and detailed analysis for vehicle systems; develop full designs, drawing packages, bills of materials, and assembly instructions for assigned vehicle programs.
  • Support research in conceptual-level mechanical design, analysis, and optimization using scripting platforms such as MATLAB/Simulink and Python.
  • Perform trade studies from first principles and basic engineering fundamentals to drive designs from ideation to mass manufacturing.
  • Stay current on aircraft technologies, configurations, materials, and manufacturing processes, and participate in conceiving novel aircraft mechanical systems and configurations.
  • Rapidly prototype and evaluate design concepts using handmade models, programming environments, spreadsheets, and CAD software.
  • Support the fabrication team during builds and resolve issues to keep manufacturing moving.
  • Plan, perform, and assist with laboratory, field, flight, and environmental testing.
  • Travel for demonstrations when required.
Desired Qualifications
  • Project management experience is desired.
  • Experience designing lightweight and heavily loaded structures and actuators, including selecting and implementing commercially available hardware, is desired.
  • Experience designing aircraft flight hardware or ground support equipment is desired.
  • Experience performing ground vibration, acoustic, or flutter analysis on aircraft structures is desired.
  • Experimental aircraft homebuilding experience is a plus.

About the company

Orb.aero makes aviation more accessible by selecting high-skill individuals through its merit-based Orbship fellowship to work on real aviation and advanced manufacturing projects. Candidates go through a multi-step process—portfolio review, video interview, and a competitive Battle Royale pitch—after which winners join Orbship and work on contracts. The company sets itself apart by prioritizing proven skills and project work over traditional credentials and avoiding traditional flying-taxi models. Its goal is to democratize aviation opportunities by channeling talented outliers into meaningful aerospace challenges at scale.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Late Stage VC

Total Funding

$12M

Headquarters

Lowell, Michigan

Founded

2017

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Orb Aerospace launched ARC Edge in 2026 for resilient DoW communications.
  • LinkedIn listed Orbship 2026 onsite in Lowell from May through August 2026.
  • ZipRecruiter showed 25 jobs in July 2026, including flight test and RF roles.

What critics are saying

  • No public customer revenue scale exists beyond a $240,000 Navy award.
  • Orb.aero/news shows no posted updates, signaling weak external traction.
  • Heavy US-citizen, clearance-heavy hiring narrows the talent pool and slows scaling.

What makes Orb Aerospace unique

  • Orb Aerospace won a Navy SBIR Phase I award on October 21, 2025.
  • Orbship uses portfolio reviews and Battle Royale pitches to source talent.
  • Orb targets on-site advanced manufacturing in Lowell with merit-based, project-paid work.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Professional Development Budget

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

5%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Sep 8th, 2025
SEC FORM D

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete.The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Sep 8th, 2025
SEC FORM D/A

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete.The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete.

Castle Placement
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