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 looking for a motivated and detail-oriented Engineer-II – Aerostructures & FEA to join our R&D Mechanical team. This role involves both aerostructure design and simulation-driven structural analysis to develop lightweight, robust, and reliable Hybrid UAV airframes. The ideal candidate should have strong expertise in CAD design, structural analysis (FEA), tooling and assembly definition (TAD), PLM systems, and material-process selection. The role requires end-to-end ownership of mechanical systems, from concept design and analysis through manufacturing support, testing, validation, and product delivery. A collaborative mindset and a passion for continuous improvement are essential.
JOB DESCRIPTION
1. Aerostructure Design & Development
- Design composite and metallic aerostructures, including wings,
fuselage, empennage, landing gear, hinges, and gliders, using first-principles
engineering.
- Own the mechanical design of Hybrid UAV subsystems and payload interfaces using PTC Creo or similar CAD tools.
- Develop and maintain complex CAD assemblies, system layouts, and model structures across design revisions.
- Perform aerodynamic and structural sizing for lightweight and high-performance UAV designs.
- Create detailed 3D CAD models and manufacturing drawings following DFMA principles.
- Design composite parts and assess layup feasibility, draping, and weight optimization.
- Select suitable composite materials and manufacturing processes, including hand lay-up, prepreg, and RTM.
- Apply Classical Laminate Theory (CLT) and ply optimization to meet structural and weight targets.
- Support prototype development, testing, validation, and design improvements.
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.
- 3-7 years of experience in mechanical product design, preferably in aerospace, UAVs, or robotics.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD modeling (preferably Creo), TAD, andGD&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
