Founding Aerospace Engineer
About AetherAether is building low-cost, mass-producible cruise missiles for one of the most challenging and complex missions in modern warfare. The US is investing billions in cheap, attritable munitions, and we're building a capability the current systems can't deliver affordably.
The Role:
We're looking for a founding aerospace engineer to own the airframe end to end: design it, build it, and fly it. You'll take our platform from prototype to a producible design, and shape the technical direction of the company as one of its first team members. This is a hands-on building role, not a simulation or paperwork role.
What You'll Do:
- Design and build the airframe, aerostructures, and flight systems for a jet-powered, expendable cruise missile
- Take designs from CAD to flying hardware, quickly and iteratively
- Own propulsion integration, control surfaces, aerodynamics, and flight testing
- Establish the path from prototype to a low-cost, manufacturable production design
- Help shape early technical and hiring decisions as a founding team member
What We're Looking For:
- Experience designing and building UAVs, missiles, or aircraft, with real hands-on hardware work
- Strong grasp of aerostructures, propulsion integration, and flight dynamics
- Comfort with speed, ambiguity, and owning a domain end to end
- Excitement to build defense hardware that matters for national securityBS or MS in aerospace or mechanical engineering
Nice to Have:
- Turbojet or small-propulsion experience
- Composites and rapid fabrication skills
- Flight-test or RC/UAV piloting background
- Prior early-stage or founding experience
- DetailsFounding role with significant equity
- Competitive salary beginning on close of our raise (Q1 2027)
- On-site, San Francisco, CAMust be a U.S. person as defined under ITAR (22 CFR 120.62)
- Reach out: will@aetherdefensetechnology.com -
tell us something you've built and flown.