Associate Mechanical Design Engineer (Pelican)

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems.

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in their respective industries.

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day.

Responsibilities

• Act as the supporting or primary engineer for specific mechanical components, moving them from initial requirement definitions through prototyping, production, and field support.
• Collaborating closely with Senior Engineers on the conceptual design, prototyping, testing, and documentation of flight-critical mechanical parts and assemblies.
• Create and maintain 3D CAD models, detailed engineering drawings, and manufacturing documents with meticulous attention to detail.
• Work alongside manufacturing teams to build tools, jigs, and fixtures that facilitate the build of in-house parts and subsystems.
• Coordinate with external suppliers and fabricators to track parts, ensure quality, and manage timely delivery.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1–2 years of experience in mechanical design (strong internship, co-op, or intensive university hands-on project team experience—like Formula SAE, DBF, or Rocketry—is highly valued).
• An inquisitive attitude with a strong desire to learn, research new topics, and rapidly iterate on designs.
• Exposure to or basic experience with designing and analyzing composite structures.
• Familiarity designing parts for common manufacturing processes (e.g., CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal, injection molding).
• Proficiency in any 3D CAD package (SolidWorks, NX, Inventor).
• Foundational understanding of hand calculations and basic FEA to validate design decisions (stress/strain, basic thermal, or fatigue).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; a proactive collaborator who isn't afraid to ask questions or seek clarification.
• Excitement to be in a prototyping shop building and testing things with your hands.

Compensation & Benefits

• $79,000 - $95,000 + equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Salary ranges are subject to change.
• Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance
• FSA with employer matching
• 401(k)
• Paid holidays, generous PTO, and additional unpaid time off
• Voluntary short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks