Mechanical Engineer - Composite Structure

About the role

Harmattan AI is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of composite structural assemblies for UAV airframes. You will own projects from concept through production, balancing rigidity, mass, cost, and manufacturability in a fast‑paced, autonomous defense environment.

Key responsibilities

• Design and prototype UAV composite structures and complex subsystems, selecting materials, laminates, and ply orientations.
• Develop injection‑moulded and CNC‑machined parts and integrate them with composite assemblies, applying design‑for‑manufacturing rules.
• Define tooling and process strategies (moulds, layup, vacuum bagging, infusion, prepreg, co‑curing) and drive rapid in‑house carbon prototyping.
• Conduct stress and failure analysis, create test benches, coupon campaigns, and validation scripts for extreme‑environment operation.
• Collaborate with electrical, software, and industrialisation teams to ensure seamless integration of sensors, payloads, and electronics.
• Oversee supplier and external manufacturer relationships for composite fabrication, injection molding, and precision machining.
• Maintain accurate 2D/3D documentation, ply books, and process logs in Confluence.

Required profile

• Senior‑level mechanical engineer with proven experience in composite structures for aerospace or UAV applications.
• Hands‑on expertise in carbon‑fiber prototyping and full‑scale production processes.
• Strong project ownership from concept to series production.
• Ability to work in a demanding, fast‑moving defense environment.

Required skills

• Composite material design, laminate analysis, ply orientation, sandwich vs monolithic trade‑offs.
• Injection‑moulding and CNC part design, DFM guidelines (wall thickness, draft angles, tolerances).
• Tooling and process development: mould design, vacuum bagging, resin infusion, prepreg handling, co‑curing.
• Stress and failure analysis, finite element analysis (FEA), test bench development.
• CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA) and 2D/3D documentation tools.
• Confluence or similar documentation platforms.

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape cutting‑edge defense UAV platforms.
• Access to advanced composite prototyping facilities.
• Collaborative environment with multidisciplinary R&D teams.