About the role
Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long range cargo aircraft. Founded in 2017, the company has spent nearly a decade developing and deploying autonomous logistics systems for real world operations.
Our V2 aircraft carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles, and V3 has a maximum range of well over 1,000 miles, a maximum useful load of 100 lbs, and a maximum endurance of nearly 20 hours. Both use a hybrid electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure.
Today, Skyways aircraft fly revenue missions for commercial customers across three continents. We are scaling full rate production and building toward large fleets of autonomous cargo aircraft.
Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is creating a new form of transportation to advance our civilization from Austin, Texas.
The Opportunity
This role sits between manufacturing, flight, and the field. You'll build, integrate, and maintain the aircraft themselves: airframe, mechanical systems, wiring, avionics. It all connects, and when something doesn't work, you're the one figuring out why.
Some days you're on the shop floor in Austin. Some days you're at our flight test site. Some days you're traveling to customer sites, keeping aircraft flying where they actually operate. If you want a job where every day looks the same, this isn't it.
Some days are clean builds. Some days are troubleshooting something that should work but doesn't. If you've only worked from perfect instructions, this will feel uncomfortable. If you've actually had to figure things out, you'll do well here.
What You'll Do
- Build and assemble aircraft structures and systems from the ground up
- Install and integrate mechanical, electrical, and avionics systems
- Build and route wiring harnesses, perform testing and validation
- Fabricate and work with composite parts (one part of the job, not the whole job)
- Troubleshoot mechanical and electrical issues during build, integration, and maintenance
- Support ground and flight test prep, including preflight and postflight checks
- Travel to customer sites to maintain, repair, and support aircraft in the field
- Work across subsystems and understand how they interact, not just your piece
- Improve build processes, tooling, and repeatability over time
What You'll Bring
- 4+ years turning wrenches on real systems (aircraft, UAVs, vehicles, robotics)
- Strong mechanical foundation first, not just composites
- Experience working across full systems, not just one area
- Electrical experience: harnesses, connectors, testing, basic diagnostics
- Ability to read drawings, wiring diagrams, and actually use them
- Comfortable troubleshooting without a step-by-step playbook
- Willingness to travel to customer and flight test sites
- High ownership. If something is off, you don't walk past it
Bonus Points
- A&P license
- UAS or military aircraft maintenance background
- Flight line or flight test support experience
- Experience working under FAA or similar standards
- Experience in low-rate production or scaling builds
In addition to base salary, offers include stock options, so you own part of what you build. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, paid holidays, a 401k, and life insurance.
Relocation assistance is available for candidates moving to Austin.
Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!
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.
Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.