Principal / Lead Mechanical Design Engineer

About Us

STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionizing the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments.

We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems—not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe—today.

Your Mission

As our Principal / Lead Mechanical Design Engineer, you will own the mechanical architecture of STARK’s next-generation UAV platforms from concept to production. You will set technical direction, mentor engineers, and work closely with cross-functional teams to deliver highly reliable, certifiable, and field-deployable systems under aggressive timelines.

This is a senior, hands-on technical leadership role, you will both define mechanical design strategy and dive deep into CAD, tolerance stacks, and prototypes. You will act as the company’s authority on mechanical design for airframes and payload integration, influencing platform-level decisions and ensuring designs are robust, scalable, and certifiable.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical architecture for current and future UAV platforms
• Lead and mentor a small team of mechanical engineers (design reviews, technical guidance)
• Define and enforce best practices for parametric modeling, GD&T, and tolerance stack-ups
• Drive airframe material selection, structural layout, and manufacturability decisions
• Oversee supplier engagement for structural components, composites, and assemblies
• Collaborate with stress, flight test, and systems teams to ensure structural integrity
• Support and occasionally lead design reviews with leadership, partners, and certifying authorities
• Guide trade studies on weight, manufacturability, and cost to meet mission performance goals
• Be hands-on with CAD (SolidWorks/CATIA), prototyping, and shop-floor troubleshooting

Qualifications

• 8+ years mechanical design experience, ideally in aerospace, defence, or high-performance automotive
• Proven record of taking structures from concept to flight-ready release (wing, fuselage, empennage)
• Expert in SolidWorks (CATIA V5/V6 a plus) and tolerance stack analysis
• Strong knowledge of composites, machining, sheet metal, and joining methods
• Familiarity with MIL standards and EASA/FAA certification pathways (SC-Light UAS, CS-23)
• Experience mentoring or leading a team of engineers
• Excellent communication skills — able to influence at exec and program level
• Eligible for UK Security Clearance