Mechanical Engineer, Routed Systems

Department: Aircraft

Location: Oxnard

Compensation: $130K – $190K

Employment Type: FullTime

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

Swarm Aero is building autonomous UAV swarms that operate in contested environments where the electrical and avionics systems have to work every time. We need an engineer who can cross boundaries and work with all subsystems through avionics integration and validation. We need an engineer with the confidence to knock down bulkheads and build brackets to support electronics and harness assemblies from first flight to mass production

What You'll Do

• Design and develop aircraft electrical systems including power distribution, wire harness routing, connector selection, and load analysis

• Work with the mechanical team to integrate avionics devices and cabling into the airframe by specifying or creating necessary mounts, brackets, and shelving

• Define avionics interface requirements and integration approach for avionics routed systems

• Develop and maintain electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and ICDs using appropriate design tools

• Collaborate with structures, mechanical, and systems engineering teams to ensure electrical routing, grounding, shielding, and EMI/EMC requirements are met

• Support flight test anomaly investigation and drive root cause analysis on avionics and electrical faults

• Contribute to airworthiness documentation and flight authorization packages

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years of avionics or aircraft electrical engineering experience on aerospace, defense, or UAS platforms

• Hands-on experience with aircraft electrical system design including power distribution, wire harness design, and load analysis

• Strong familiarity with aerospace connector families, cable families, and aerospace wiring practices.

• Proficiency with wiring harness design tools such as Zuken, Capital, Artifact, or equivalent

• Proficiency with cable routing tools such as Solidworks/Catia Electrical, NX Electrical, CreoParametric, or equivalent

• Experience taking avionics or electrical systems from design through hardware integration and flight test

• Comfortable working across hardware, software, and test disciplines in a fast-moving environment

• US person status required; active security clearance a plus

Nice to Have

• Experience specifically on UAS or unmanned aircraft programs

• Experience scripting the interface between electrical wiring schematic and mechanical CAD routing tool with Python or other languages

• Background in MIL-STD-461 testing, EMI/EMC analysis and mitigation on flight vehicles

• Familiarity with DO160 electrical sections, MIL-STD-704, AS50881, and related standards

• Familiarity with IPC/WHMA-A-620 harness acceptance standards

• Exposure to defense programs or military airworthiness processes

• Sheet-metal or composites design experience (professional or hobby)

• PCB design or embedded electronics background (professional or hobby)

• Scripting experience

What We Offer

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience

• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k

• PTO and paid sick leave

• Monthly wellness stipend

• Daily catered lunch (office)

• Paid parental leave

• Direct impact on a critical national security mission

• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems