Job Description
COMPANY PROFILE
ideaForge is the leader in industrial and surveillance UAV manufacturing in India with
more than 50% market share. Established in 2007 by IIT-Bombay alumni and
headquartered in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, ideaForge co-designed India''s first
surveillance quadrotor UAV — NETRA — with DRDO, and engineered the then world''s
lightest Autopilot. The company develops completely indigenous technology for
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and is a pioneer in the UAS segment with multiple
intellectual properties. ideaForge operates fully in-house R&D, design,
manufacturing, software, services, and training. Its products have consistently
helped Indian Defence, Paramilitary, and Police forces ensure citizen safety
and save lives.
POSITION OVERVIEW
We are seeking a passionate and driven Engineer-I – Aerostructures & FEA to join our R&D Mechanical team. This role combines hands-on aerostructure design with simulation-driven structural analysis (FEA) to develop lightweight, robust, and certification-ready UAV airframes. The ideal candidate is technically rigorous, collaborative, and eager to grow across composite design,
structural analysis, physical validation, and continuous improvement activities.
JOB DESCRIPTION
1. Aerostructure Design & Development
- Design and develop composite and metallic aerostructures including wings, fuselage, empennage, landing legs, hinges, and gliders using first principal approach.
- Perform aerosizing and structural sizing calculations for lightweight optimisation across UAV platforms.
- Create CAD models and detailed engineering drawings adhering to DFMA principles.
- Design composite parts and analyse layup feasibility; perform draping and structural optimisation for weight reduction.
- Evaluate and select composite materials and manufacturing processes (hand lay-up, prepreg, RTM, etc.).
- Apply Classical Laminate Theory (CLT) and ply optimisation to achieve required stiffness-to-weight targets.
2. TAD (Tooling & Assembly Definition)
- Must be proficient in TAD principles with hands-on experience in tooling and assembly strategies.
- Prepare assembly BOMs, jigs and fixture interfaces, and support design-to-assembly planning.
- Contribute to design improvements based on ease of assembly, maintainability, and ergonomics.
3. PLM Integration
- Experienced in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems for version control, workflows, and digital thread management.
- Familiarity with Windchill PLM or equivalent for part structures, release cycles, and change management.
4. FEA – Structural Strength & Vibration analysis
- Assist in static, non-linear, and buckling analysis under operational and extreme load cases.
- Support composite modelling, laminate optimisation, and stability evaluation using ANSYS ACP or equivalent.
- Validate structural safety margins and compliance under drop and operational loads.
- Develop understanding of load case development, boundary conditions, and failure theories (aerospace structural standards).
- Support vibration simulations including Modal, Harmonic, Frequency Response Function (FRF), and dynamic response analysis for UAV/eVTOL structures.
- Identify natural frequencies, mode shapes, and critical excitation zones to reduce resonance risk.
5. Material Engineering & Manufacturability
- Strong knowledge of materials (metals, polymers, composites) with a clear understanding of process-specific constraints.
- Evaluate designs for manufacturability, cost efficiency, and reliability using DFM, DFX, and material selection tools.
- Prior experience working with high-performance materials, injection molding, and machining processes is advantageous.
6. Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
- Well-versed in 3D printing techniques (FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF, DMLS,etc.).
- Ability to select suitable printer types, grain structures, material properties, and post-processing requirements based on the use-case.
7. Cross-Functional & Organisational Contribution
- Provide technical support to Sales & Project Management teams.
- Participate in flight trials and tech-driven swimlanes (propulsion, payload vibrations, aerostructure).
- Support development of CAE methodologies, SOPs, material databases, and internal simulation tools.
8. Root Cause Analysis
- Should be capable to understand physical behavior, correlate with design definition and derive root causes in collaboration with CFT.
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 1-3 years of experience in mechanical product design, preferably in aerospace, UAVs, or robotics.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD modeling (preferably Creo), TAD, and GD&T.
- Experience in PLM/PDM platforms, ideally Windchill.
- Familiarity with FEA tools (ANSYS Mechanical / ANSYS ACP or equivalent); exposure to static, modal analysis
- Knowledge of DFX, DFM, and high-performance material-process pairing.
- Hands-on experience with 3D printing tools and decision-making for rapid prototyping vs. end-use applications.
- Strong documentation and presentation skills.
DESIRED BEHAVIOURAL VALUES:
- Commitment to common purpose and goals.
- Seating respect on the table.
- Displaying Integrity and Ethics.
- Taking Initiative and ownership with Accountabilities.
- Being Passionate about making a difference.
- Maintaining and managing interpersonal harmonious relationships.
