Senior Design Engineer

Red Oak Technologies is a leading provider of comprehensive resourcing solutions across a variety of industries and sectors including IT, Marketing, Finance, Business Operations, Manufacturing and Engineering.

Our client is an aerospace and defense company. They are looking for a Sr. Design Engineer to join their team. This role is a CONTRACT position. Position will be ONSITE. Candidate must be able to commute onsite to Dayton, Ohio.

Citizenship Requirement: U.S. Citizen (CUI environment; no clearance required)

Position Overview:

We are seeking a Senior Design Engineer to support the refresh and advancement of an existing aircraft design currently at Preliminary Design Review (PDR) maturity. This role will contribute to the evolution of a next-generation aircraft concept, updating and adapting the design to meet current operational and regulatory requirements.

The ideal candidate brings deep aerospace engineering experience, can operate independently, and is comfortable providing expert-level assessments within a small, high-performing engineering team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Review, assess, and refresh existing aircraft designs to meet updated requirements
• Support system-level aircraft design decisions across multiple engineering disciplines
• Participate in and support design and requirements reviews
• Ensure design compliance and clearly articulate design rationale and trade studies
• Contribute to proposal development and technical narratives as needed
• Perform engineering assessments using existing models and data
• Operate independently with minimal training or oversight
• No heavy drawing production required in the near term; focus is on design, analysis, and compliance until 2027

Core Technical Skill Areas:

• Candidates may specialize in one or more of the following areas, with overall experience contributing to aircraft design:
• Aerodynamic design
• Landing gear systems
• Hydraulic systems
• Aircraft structures and structural assessment
• Stress engineering
• Weight & balance analysis (ability to communicate the aircraft’s “weight story”)
• Aircraft systems integration
• Propulsion systems
• General aerospace systems engineering

Tools & Technical Environment:

• CATIA V5 (required): Ability to access models and perform structural and weight assessments
• MATLAB
• Standard aerospace engineering design and analysis tools
• Limited drawing release during this phase; emphasis is on design maturity and compliance

Preferred / Nice-to-Have Qualifications:

• Experience supporting proposal development
• Ability to translate engineering concepts into clear proposal or customer-facing narratives
• Prior experience on similar aircraft development programs
• Combined test and design engineering background

Ideal Candidate Profile:

Experience Level: Senior-level (Level 3 scope or above)

Approach: Self-starter who can work independently with minimal direction

Education: Bachelor’s degree required

Capabilities:

• Quickly assess and build upon existing designs, files, and requirements
• Provide expert-level input without requiring extensive onboarding or training
• Collaborate effectively within a small, fast-moving engineering team

Background:

• Government or defense experience helpful but not required
• Civilian aerospace experience strongly welcomed
• Prior experience on similar aircraft programs is a significant plus

Location & Travel Expectations:

• Preferred Location: Dayton, OH
• Additional Acceptable Locations: Plano, TX; Wichita, KS; Colorado (Centennial area)

Travel:

• Required travel to Colorado for initial onboarding and integration
• Additional travel may be required for key meetings or milestones
• All approved travel will be covered

Overtime:

• Must be pre-approved
• Overtime is paid at the standard hourly rate (no time-and-a-half)

Additional Information:

• This is a high-visibility, high-impact engineering effort with strong long-term potential
• Significant engineering work will remain based in Colorado even if other activities occur elsewhere
• Strong performance may lead to extended engagement or conversion opportunities

Red Oak Technologies is made up of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and lifestyles. We embrace diversity and invite applications from people of all walks of life. See what it’s like to be at the top; connect with one of our recruiters and apply today.

Red Oak Tech: Quality | Talent | Integrity

Note: Compensation rates are based on years of experience and/or level of skills relevant to the opportunity.