Senior Composite Structure Engineer

Pyka is looking for a highly skilled Senior Composite Structure Engineer to lead the design, analysis, and prototyping of composite structures for Pyka’s cargo aircraft. This role requires a strong foundation in composite materials, structural engineering, and hands-on prototyping, as well as experience with CAD, tooling, and manufacturing techniques. You’ll work closely with cross-disciplinary teams to develop lightweight, high-strength structures optimized for performance and manufacturability.

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 C02 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. 

Responsibilities

• Design and develop composite primary and secondary aircraft structures using appropriate materials and layup strategies.
• Perform basic structural analysis using hand calculations and FEA to validate designs.
• Apply proper tolerancing and GD&T to ensure manufacturability and proper assembly.
• Create detailed 3D CAD models and engineering drawings (SolidWorks preferred).
• Design tooling, molds, and fixtures for composite part fabrication and bonding.
• Perform testing to validate strength, stiffness, and durability of airframe components.
• Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure proper integration of structural components.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in composite structural design and analysis—preferably in aerospace or high-performance vehicle applications.
• Proficient in composite material properties, layup design, and bonding/joining techniques.
• Strong CAD skills with experience designing complex composite assemblies (SolidWorks highly preferred).
• Solid understanding of structural mechanics and experience with FEA tools.
• Practical experience with tolerancing, and DFMA principles.
• Hands-on experience with composite prototyping, tooling, and fabrication processes.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with carbon fiber prepreg, wet layup, or resin infusion methods.
• Familiarity with out-of-autoclave composite processes.
• Knowledge of composite repair techniques and structural testing methods.
• Exposure to aerospace certification standards and structural substantiation processes.
• Experience with PLM systems and engineering change control.

Company Perks

• $135,000-160,000 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.