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Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. The company has spent eight years developing and deploying autonomous logistics systems for real-world operations. V2 aircraft carry 30 lbs up to 500 miles; V3 has a maximum range exceeding 1,000 miles, a maximum useful load of 100 lbs, and nearly 20 hours endurance. Both use hybrid-electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long-range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure. Skyways aircraft currently operate across three continents in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight and in support of U.S. military operations. The company is transitioning from prototype development to full-rate production and scaling toward large autonomous cargo fleets.
In this role, you will build and own the Skyways reliability program end to end, including failure reporting, root cause analysis, corrective action, and fleet reliability metrics. You will lead hands-on investigations into aircraft failures across avionics, flight software, power and propulsion, structures, and flight controls. You will troubleshoot problems yourself and develop fixes, partnering with design engineers where changes land in their systems. You will analyze flight logs, telemetry, maintenance, and manufacturing data to find recurring failure modes and rank them by impact on the fleet. You will run FMEA and fault tree analysis on V3 critical systems and turn findings into design changes. You will set inspection intervals and life limits, revising them as fleet hours accumulate. You will drive corrective actions through design, manufacturing, and flight operations to permanent closure. You will report fleet reliability trends to engineering and company leadership.
The company is backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force. Compensation includes base salary, stock options, medical/dental/vision coverage, paid time off, paid holidays, 401k, and life insurance. Relocation assistance is available.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or related engineering field
- 10+ years of engineering experience, including 5+ years of hands-on reliability work on UAV or aviation programs
- Clear, measurable evidence of improving reliability on a UAV or aviation program (lower failure rates, higher MTBF, better fleet availability)
- Experience building or driving a reliability program, including failure reporting and corrective action systems (FRACAS)
- Broad, hands-on troubleshooting across software, electrical, mechanical, and controls, with track record of finding root cause and implementing fixes
- Working knowledge of reliability methods: FMEA, fault tree analysis, 8D, Weibull analysis, reliability growth tracking
- Proficiency with Python, SQL, or similar tools for flight data analysis
- Clear technical writing and communication with engineers and leadership
BONUS:
- 15+ years of engineering experience with reliability at core of career
- Experience with ArduPilot, PX4, MAVLink, DroneCAN, or comparable flight control ecosystems
- Experience with hybrid electric propulsion, battery, or engine reliability
- Experience setting maintenance intervals and life limits for flying fleet
- Experience in startup or rapid hardware development environments
Note: Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.
