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Dominion Dynamics is building autonomous airframes for military applications and is seeking a Director of Aircraft Structures to lead the structures organization from concept through flying prototype. This is a dual leadership and hands-on technical role reporting to the Head of Aircraft Design.
You will build and scale a high-performing structures team including structural designers, stress analysts, composite experts, and mass properties engineers. You'll define team structure, career pathways, and resource allocation across rapid-prototyping and program tracks while maintaining strict adherence to aerospace safety and military airworthiness standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-HDBK-516, DEF STAN 00-970).
Key responsibilities include: establishing the structures toolchain and methods (CAD, FEA, CFD, PLM); selecting and managing strategic suppliers for composites, additive manufacturing, and aerospace materials; driving design for manufacturability in partnership with Manufacturing and Quality; providing hands-on oversight through demonstrator builds and flight prototypes; and owning program execution including milestones, budgets, and technical risk management.
You'll be directly involved in material review boards, non-conformance disposition, and rapid design changes during build and assembly. The role requires balancing fast iteration with uncompromising safety standards—building a structures function that can move quickly without ever getting loose on airworthiness.
Required qualifications: degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering with deep aircraft structures background across composite and metallic airframes; proven experience building and scaling structural engineering teams; depth in structural analysis and airworthiness substantiation to military standards; hands-on demonstrator and prototype build experience; supplier technical evaluation and management; program execution fluency (milestones, budgets, EVM); and eligibility to obtain and maintain a Canadian security clearance (Secret or higher).
Bonus experience includes attritable/expendable structures philosophy, additive manufacturing and advanced composite processes, standing up a structures function from early stage, arctic/cold-weather materials behavior, and RCAF/DND/NATO airworthiness exposure for uncrewed systems. No defense background required.
