Mechanical Design Engineer

Aquila is building the world's first optical energy network to keep drones and autonomous systems flying without limits. To make this possible, we need aerodynamic and thermal designs that push the boundaries of what UAVs can do.

We're looking for a Mechanical/Aerospace Design Engineer to lead the design and integration of weight-optimised, aerodynamically efficient payloads for our high-performance optical wireless power receiver. You'll take concepts from simulation to flight, developing novel aerodynamic and thermal systems that meet demanding performance requirements in highly constrained environments.

This role combines deep technical design with hands-on build, testing, and validation. You'll work across disciplines, turning first-principles insights into practical solutions that keep our UAVs flying further, faster, and cooler.

We value engineers who are curious, collaborative, and practical. If you enjoy solving hard problems, distilling complexity into clarity, and building systems that expand what's possible for UAVs, you'll thrive here.

Role Responsibilities/Expectations

Successful candidates will:

• Own the end-to-end design, manufacture, assembly, and validation of custom aerodynamic and thermal components to integrate within an off-the-shelf fixed wing UAV platform.
• Perform CFD simulations and physical tests to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of payload integration into a fixed wing drone. Use these simulations to inform and iterate on thermal design, and payload integration.
• Develop efficient methods to feed flight test data back into aerodynamic simulation models of various fidelity and complexity
• Work alongside other cross-functional engineers to contribute to an integrated fixed wing design which meets challenging aerodynamic and thermal requirements.
• Contribute to the design of novel thermal systems to optimize the heat transfer, physical packaging, and weight of an integrated thermal solution.
• Get your hands dirty with the build/modification of fixed-wing UAV's, integrating custom aerodynamic & thermal components into the airframe to support R&D.
• Perform mixed thermal/fluid simulations to validate thermal design performance in representative airflow conditions
• Engage with suppliers/manufacturers to rapidly bring-up R&D components
• Design and manufacture test-rigs to validate the aerodynamic and thermal performance of designed components and OTS components
• Document and communicate technical information clearly and effectively, supporting company-wide understanding and transparency.
• Act as the subject matter expert, work with other cross-functional teams/engineers to inform a holistic design approach.
• Draw from sound knowledge of engineering principles to provide successful solutions that challenge engineering boundaries.
• Balance competing requirements in a large cross-functional project with a lot of moving parts
• Be energised by the challenges of startup life, including rapid iteration and shifting priorities where technical paths unfold through discovery

Essential Skills and Qualifications

• Foundational knowledge in aerodynamics principles, and core design considerations for fixed wing aircraft
• Strong proficiency with industry standard CFD simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM)
• Experience using lower-order aerodynamic tools alongside CFD analysis and optimization methods.
• Experience in high-speed flow regimes or external aerodynamics.
• Experience with weight-sensitive design and mass optimization techniques.
• Strong foundational mechanical engineering skills (GD&T, DFM, DFA, etc.) and CAD skills, including surface modelling, and other advanced modelling tools (e.g., SolidWorks, OnShape)
• Strong understanding of thermal management, including heat exchangers, cooling system design, and thermal design for high-power components.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with practical workshop skills, and hands-on fabrication experience
• Comfort within a high level programming language for data analysis/engineering calculations (python/MATLAB)

We know great candidates may not meet every listed qualification. If you're excited by our mission and have relevant skills or experience, we encourage you to apply.

Please note: Employment at Aquila is subject to the successful completion of pre-employment screening, including reference checks and a national police check.