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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Jet Designer

💰 $ - $

AerospaceEngineeringDesignAviation

🎯 Role Definition

A Jet Designer is an aerospace design engineer responsible for conceptualizing, developing, and validating jet aircraft structures, systems and subsystems. This role spans detailed CAD modeling, aerodynamics and structural analysis, systems integration, weight and balance optimization, certification support (FAA/EASA), prototype testing, supplier oversight, and cross-functional coordination to deliver safe, efficient and certifiable aircraft or jet modifications. The Jet Designer combines deep technical knowledge (airloads, materials, composites, CAD/CFD/FEA tools) with systems-thinking and strong program execution skills.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Aerospace Engineer / Graduate Aeronautical Engineer
  • CAD / Mechanical Designer with aerospace experience
  • Systems Integration or Avionics Technician transitioning into design

Advancement To:

  • Senior Jet Designer / Lead Airframe Designer
  • Principal Aerospace Engineer (Structures / Aerodynamics)
  • Program Manager / Chief Engineer

Lateral Moves:

  • Systems Engineer (avionics, propulsion)
  • Certification & Compliance Engineer
  • Supplier Quality / Manufacturing Engineering

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead conceptual and preliminary design of jet airframes or major modifications, producing trade studies that balance aerodynamic performance, structural integrity, manufacturability, cost and certification requirements.
  • Create, maintain and deliver detailed 3D CAD models and 2D manufacturing drawings using CATIA V5/3DEXPERIENCE, Siemens NX or SolidWorks, ensuring compliance with GD&T standards and company drawing practices.
  • Perform finite element analysis (FEA) and stress analysis to validate structural designs, load paths and fastener arrangements; prepare and review FEA models, boundary conditions and results for PDR/CDR packages.
  • Develop and execute computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and aerodynamic analyses to optimize wing, empennage, nacelle and control surface geometries for performance and stability.
  • Define and allocate design requirements and derived requirements across systems and subsystems using requirements management tools (DOORS, JAMA), ensuring traceability through the design lifecycle.
  • Lead and participate in design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, FRR), generate action items, close design issues, and document rationale and compliance with certification criteria.
  • Prepare structural load cases, conduct flutter and aeroelastic assessments, and partner with aeroelasticity specialists to mitigate dynamic instabilities.
  • Conduct weight and balance studies and optimization activities to meet range, payload and center-of-gravity requirements while supporting trim and performance objectives.
  • Specify materials (aluminum alloys, titanium, composites, adhesives) and select manufacturing processes consistent with producibility, durability and repairability objectives.
  • Collaborate with systems, propulsion, electrical and avionics teams to integrate systems routings, mounting provisions, and structural interfaces while minimizing interference and ensuring maintainability.
  • Generate certification artifacts and demonstrate compliance to regulatory frameworks (FAA FARs, EASA CS standards), including supporting compliance matrices, test plans and certification reports.
  • Develop test plans and procedures for ground tests, structural static tests, fatigue tests and flight test activities; support instrumentation, data collection and post-test analysis.
  • Provide technical direction and oversight to suppliers and manufacturing partners, reviewing supplier drawings, conducting Design for Manufacture (DFM) assessments and participating in supplier audits.
  • Support build and assembly activities for prototypes and production items, troubleshoot fit, form and function issues during mockups, jigs, and first article builds.
  • Mentor junior designers and engineers, review design outputs for quality and compliance, and promote best practices in modeling, analysis and documentation.
  • Implement change control and configuration management processes for design revisions; assess design change impacts and update certification and production documentation.
  • Apply damage tolerance and fatigue life analysis methods to ensure structural longevity and develop inspection/maintenance recommendations.
  • Prepare cost and schedule estimates for design tasks, support program tracking, and participate in risk management and mitigation planning.
  • Use scripting and automation (Python, MATLAB) to accelerate repetitive analysis tasks, data processing and model generation.
  • Coordinate with flight test, systems safety, human factors and maintenance teams to ensure operational suitability, accessibility and compliance with safety objectives.
  • Document engineering decisions, maintain engineering notebooks, and prepare technical memoranda and supplier correspondence for auditability.
  • Contribute to sustainment engineering by assessing in-service issues, proposing engineering changes, and supporting Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency in CAD tools: CATIA V5/3DEXPERIENCE, Siemens NX, or SolidWorks for airframe and component design.
  • FEA experience with tools such as NASTRAN, ANSYS or Abaqus for stress, modal and fatigue analysis.
  • CFD knowledge using STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent or OpenFOAM to support aerodynamic optimization and validation.
  • Strong understanding of aerospace materials, composites design, and manufacturing processes (autoclave curing, resin transfer molding, machining).
  • Experience with certification standards (FAA FARs, EASA CS, DO-178/DO-254 awareness for integrated systems).
  • Requirements management and traceability using IBM DOORS, JAMA or equivalent.
  • Expertise in structural load analysis, aeroelasticity, weight & balance computations and damage tolerance methodologies.
  • Scripting and data tools: Python, MATLAB/Simulink for analysis automation, data processing and control law prototyping.
  • GD&T, drafting standards and experience producing manufacturing-ready drawings and BOMs.
  • Familiarity with systems engineering practices, interface control documents (ICDs), and multidisciplinary integration.
  • Test planning and instrumentation experience for static, fatigue and flight test programs.
  • Knowledge of configuration management, change control and product lifecycle tools (PLM systems).
  • Supplier management and DFM/DFMEA experience, including supplier drawing reviews and corrective action follow-up.
  • Experience with reliability, maintainability and safety analyses (FMEA, Fault Tree Analysis).

Soft Skills

  • Clear and persuasive verbal and written communication tailored to engineers, suppliers and regulators.
  • Strong problem-solving, critical thinking and root-cause analysis capabilities.
  • Collaborative team player comfortable working in multidisciplinary global teams.
  • Detail-oriented with high standards for documentation and auditability.
  • Time and priority management to balance delivery commitments and technical rigor.
  • Leadership and mentorship aptitude for guiding less experienced engineers.
  • Adaptability to evolving requirements and fast-paced program schedules.
  • Customer-focused mindset with ability to translate operational needs into technical requirements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautics, Structural Mechanics, or a related advanced degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Aerospace / Aeronautical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering (with aerospace emphasis)
  • Structural Mechanics / Materials Science
  • Systems Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 4–10+ years of relevant aerospace design experience for mid-to-senior roles; 0–3 years for entry-level/graduate positions with relevant internships.

Preferred:

  • Experience designing jet transport or business jet structures, with demonstrated involvement in certification programs, supplier integration and flight test support.
  • Prior roles requiring the use of CAD/FEA/CFD tools in an aerospace or high-reliability manufacturing environment.
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