Senior Actuation Engineer

About Us

Skydweller Aero Inc. is a transatlantic, cutting-edge aerospace company developing solar-powered aircraft solutions capable of perpetual flight while carrying heavy and powerful payloads. Building on technology from the longest continuous renewably powered flight program in history, this fast-growing company is creating a new class of unmanned aircraft. It combines the persistence of geosynchronous satellites with the sensing capabilities and flexibility of a large airborne platform. Skydweller Aero Inc. has its global and US headquarters in Oklahoma City, with European operations headquartered in Spain.

Role Summary

We are looking for a Senior Actuation Engineer to be the responsible engineer for our actuation products and for the actuation capabilities of our solar-powered unmanned aircraft. You will own both from requirements and architecture through trade studies, design, supplier management, customer support, verification and installation, whether the actuator is used on its own or integrated on the aircraft. You will keep requirements, interfaces and verification evidence aligned across the product and the aircraft. This role can be based in Oklahoma City, OK (US) or Spain.

Responsibilities

• Act as responsible engineer for our actuation products and for the actuation capabilities of our aircraft.
• Own the design and design changes of a complete electromechanical actuator (motor, transmission, output stage, sensing, motor control, housing, and the interfaces between them), including the effect on requirements, suppliers and verification.
• Perform trade studies of electromechanical actuation approaches for actuators and the control surfaces they drive.
• Derive, allocate and maintain the requirements baseline, including sizing and performance from loads, rates, redundancy, environmental constraints and the concept of operations, with traceability to design and verification.
• Define the actuator architecture and its mechanical, electrical and control interfaces with the aircraft.
• Perform preliminary design to validate requirements and support make/buy decisions for actuators, motors and motion control devices.
• Direct mechanical and electrical designers during detailed design of the actuator and related hardware.
• Manage subcontractors from contracting through requirements, testing and delivery.
• Work with customers of the actuation products on requirements, interfaces, integration and in-service support.
• Define and close verification for the actuator and for each actuation subsystem, including acceptance tests and laboratory and aircraft testing.
• Create installation and checkout procedures for the actuator as a product and as installed on the aircraft.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical or Mechatronics Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in aerospace or defense, designing, building and testing motion control or actuation systems.
• Proven experience owning the design of electromechanical actuators or similar motion control products, from requirements through verification.
• Hands-on testing experience in support of hardware verification for an aerospace system.
• Experience integrating software and hardware in flight-critical or safety-critical systems.
• Strong understanding of motors, motor controllers, drive mechanisms and gearboxes.
• Experience managing suppliers or subcontractors and working directly with customers.
• Fluent English (written and spoken).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical or Mechatronics Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in aerospace or defense actuation systems.
• Experience applying systems engineering to a hardware system: requirements derivation and traceability, interface definition and verification planning.
• Experience with model-based systems engineering on a complex system, including architecture, interfaces and the link from requirements to verification.
• Familiarity with ARP5754 for electromechanical actuation and ARP4754 for aircraft and system development.
• Experience in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing or in a system integration laboratory, in aerospace or another industry such as automotive, robotics or medical.
• Experience designing test stations for verification testing, including harnesses, special test equipment, rack design, bills of materials and equipment procurement.
• Experience with analog and digital converters, power supply components, analog troubleshooting, signal integrity, layout and grounding.
• Applied experience with hard real-time operating systems and embedded systems.

Preferred Tools

• Requirements management: Polarion ALM preferred; DOORS or similar tools welcome.
• Model-based systems engineering: Cameo Systems Modeler, Capella, SCADE Architect, Enterprise Architect or similar.
• Engineering: MATLAB / Simulink, CATIA V5, Python.
• Collaboration: Jira, Confluence.

Company Benefits

Skydweller Aero offers a competitive benefits package designed to support the health, well-being, and professional development of our employees. Benefits may vary based on location, employment status, and eligibility.

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health insurance coverage for eligible full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision benefits, as applicable.
• Paid Time Off: Paid vacation, sick leave, personal time, and company holidays in accordance with applicable company policies and local requirements.
• Flexible Work Schedules: Flexible scheduling options may be available based on the requirements of the position and business needs.
• Professional Development: Access to training, educational opportunities, and other professional development resources based on role and business needs.
• Wellness Benefits: Access to company-sponsored wellness programs and initiatives.
• Flexible Remuneration: Eligible employees may participate in flexible compensation programs, where applicable.
• Meal Vouchers: Meal vouchers are provided to eligible employees, where applicable.
• Equity Opportunities: Eligible employees may be considered for stock option grants in accordance with the Company's equity plans and applicable approval requirements.
• Performance-Based Compensation: Certain positions may be eligible for performance-based bonuses or other incentive compensation in accordance with applicable company programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Skydweller Aero is committed to providing equal employment opportunities. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and business requirements, without discrimination on any ground protected by applicable law.

We are committed to maintaining a fair and inclusive recruitment process and to providing equal opportunities throughout all stages of employment.

Candidate Data Protection

Personal data provided during the recruitment process will be processed for the purpose of managing and evaluating your application in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

Further information regarding the processing of candidate personal data, including the identity of the data controller, purposes and legal basis of processing, applicable retention periods, recipients and international transfers where applicable, and the exercise of data protection rights, is available through Skydweller Aero's Candidate Privacy Notice provided during the application process.