What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Mechanical / Structures Engineer position at Float?
Senior Mechanical / Structures Engineer
Location: Full-time On-Site (CA)
Type: Full-Time | Founding Team Opportunity
Float is an early-stage aerospace company developing advanced airship systems for large-scale cargo applications. We are focused on solving hard aerospace problems and translating ambitious concepts into real, tested hardware. Our team is small, execution-driven, and building a new airship platform from first principles.
The Role
As a Senior Mechanical / Structures Engineer, you will be a core contributor to the design and realization of Float’s airship platform. This is a deeply hands-on role focused on structural design, materials, and manufacturability at scale, working closely with the Lead Aerospace Engineer and founding team.
You will take ownership of critical structural subsystems and be responsible for designing them not only to perform, but to be repeatable, buildable, and scalable. You will see designs through the full lifecycle — from early analysis and trade studies to physical prototyping, testing, and iteration.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop structural and mechanical subsystems for a large-scale cargo airship with an emphasis on scalable production
- Create CAD and structural designs that balance performance, weight, cost, and manufacturability
- Contribute to load case development, weight optimization, and structural trade studies to support both prototype and production configurations
- Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) decisions with the goal of supporting hundreds of units per year
- Build and evaluate physical prototypes and proof-of-concept scale models
- Participate directly in fabrication, assembly, and testing of structural hardware
- Assist in developing and executing structural test plans, instrumentation, and validation procedures
- Work closely with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams to ensure designs transition cleanly from prototype to production intent
Qualifications
- Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent real-world experience
- Strong background in structural or mechanical design for complex, load-bearing systems
- Proven experience taking designs from CAD to physical hardware, including hands-on prototyping and testing
- Demonstrated ability to design parts and assemblies with manufacturing scale and repeatability in mind
- Proficiency with CAD tools, structural analysis, and basic stress/deflection calculations
- Solid understanding of materials, GD&T, tolerances, and manufacturing processes
- Comfortable working in fast-moving, early-stage environments where requirements evolve
- Strong engineering judgment, problem-solving ability, and attention to detail
Nice to Have
- Experience with composites or lightweight structures for production use
- Background in aerospace, robotics, or other hardware programs that progressed beyond one-off prototypes
- Familiarity with structural testing, instrumentation, and validation
- Prior experience scaling a physical product from prototype toward production
- Experience at an aerospace startup or skunkworks-style engineering team
Why Join Us
This is a rare opportunity to shape the core engineering DNA of a company redefining how cargo moves across the planet. You’ll take on meaningful responsibility early, build groundbreaking vehicles, and grow alongside a world-class team pioneering the future of sustainable air mobility.