Product Design Engineer
San Mateo, California, United States - Full-time
Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users. From utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios and beyond.
About the role:
Skydio’s mechanical systems are the backbone of reliable autonomous flight. As part of the sustaining engineering team, you will ensure that our aircraft, ground systems, and supporting hardware continue to deliver world-class performance in the field. You’ll apply a deep understanding of mechanical design, manufacturing processes, and root-cause analysis to improve reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability across our product portfolio - delivering robust, scalable solutions to keep our fleets flying and our customers confident.
How you'll make an impact:
Own mechanical system design and reliability across aircraft, ground systems, controllers, and other key pieces of the Skydio hardware ecosystem. Ensure that documentation, drawings, and BOMs remain current, controlled, and optimized for long-term production.
Design and validate continuous improvements that enhance performance, quality, and cost through analytical modeling, prototyping, and rigorous testing.
Sustain and evolve released designs, ensuring that documentation, drawings, and BOMs remain current, controlled, and optimized for long-term production.
Lead failure analysis and corrective actions (FACA), identify root causes, and implement design or process improvements based on field and test data, performing detailed failure analysis and developing robust, long-term fixes.
Work closely with manufacturing, operations, and quality teams to resolve supplier and production challenges, driving continuous improvement in yield and manufacturability.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams including electrical, wireless, software, and manufacturing engineering to address multi-disciplinary issues, such as mechanical-electrical interfaces, environmental sealing, and vibration robustness
Support vendor qualification and processes, ensuring mechanical components meet quality and performance expectations over the lifetime of our products.
Contribute to DFM and DFA initiatives, simplifying assemblies, improving manufacturability, reducing part cost, improving part and assembly yield.
What makes you a good fit:
Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent with a strong foundation in mechanical design and product reliability.
Deep curiosity with 3+ years experience hands-on development, testing and delivery of highly reliable complex systems
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot, root-cause, and resolve mechanical, quality, assembly issues in volume production environments.
Proven experience in product design, sustaining or reliability engineering, particularly within complex electromechanical systems or consumer products.
A passion for continuous improvement, balancing speed and precision to enhance quality, reliability, and user experience.
Expertise in 3D CAD (CATIA is a bonus) and familiarity with PLM systems for mechanical drawings, with attention to detail in tolerance analysis, GD&T.
Demonstrated hands-on experience supporting assembly lines, FATP processes, and production factory environments.
Deep understanding of injection molding, die casting, CNC machining, and sheet metal, plus familiarity working with electronics like PCBAs, cable assemblies and interconnects.
Strong communication and collaboration skills working with domestic and international suppliers and multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing teams.
Experience with data-driven engineering using test data and field metrics to inform design or process improvements.
Compensation: At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $140,000- $225,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.
*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.
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At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.
For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/