Senior Aircraft Design Engineer

About Sarla Aviation

Sarla Aviation is at the forefront of revolutionizing urban air mobility with its cutting-edge eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-off and Landing) aircraft featuring innovative tilt-rotor technology. Sarla Aviation, a pioneer in the development of sustainable, efficient, and safe air transportation systems, is dedicated to influencing the future of aviation. We are seeking a skilled and driven Aircraft Design Engineer to join our expanding team and contribute to the success of our eVTOL program.

About The Role

We are seeking a Senior Aircraft Design Engineer (eVTOL) with 8+ years of experience to own aircraft-level design, integration, and certification readiness for our eVTOL platform. This role is not a component designer role. You will act as an aircraft architect and technical authority, responsible for ensuring that configuration, performance, stability, propulsion integration, and certification constraints converge into a viable, certifiable aircraft. You will define design philosophy, build internal tools, mentor engineers, and serve as a primary technical interface to regulators and leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead aircraft-level architecture and configuration design for eVTOL platforms, including lift-cruise propulsion layout, transition concepts, wing–propeller–empennage integration, landing gear, and ground operations.
• Drive configuration trade studies considering performance, noise, safety, redundancy, mass properties, and certification feasibility across all flight phases (VTOL, transition, cruise, approach, and landing).
• Drive aerodynamic concept definition and performance modelling, addressing propeller–airframe interaction, hover download, transition aerodynamics, edgewise flight, OEI conditions, and mission-level range and endurance.
• Drive air foil and planform strategies balancing hover efficiency, cruise performance, noise, and regulatory constraints, ensuring physics-based use of CFD to support design decisions.
• Lead stability, control, and handling qualities definition across hover, transition, and forward flight, including control allocation, degraded modes, and compliance with FAA/EASA/SC-VTOL/DGCA requirements.
• Act as the aircraft-level systems integrator, applying MBSE principles to manage requirement flow-down, interface control, and cross-disciplinary trade-offs across propulsion, structures, flight controls, energy storage, and avionics.
• Develop and interpret low- to mid-fidelity aero-structural models to guide configuration decisions, assess modal behaviour, and support load paths, flutter awareness, and certification alignment.
• Develop, validate, and own in-house aircraft design and analysis tools for sizing, performance, stability, and propulsion matching, establishing best practices and fidelity roadmaps, integrated with Multi-Disciplinary Optimization (MDO) methodologies.
• Lead/Assist in aircraft-level certification strategy, compliance planning, and technical substantiation, serving as one of the interfaces with regulatory authorities and embedding certification constraints early in the design.
• Support flight test planning, data correlation, design validation, envelope expansion, and continued airworthiness activities.
• Act as a technical authority and mentor, leading design reviews, guiding junior engineers, and influencing long-term aircraft platform and technology roadmaps.
  
  

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in aerospace engineering or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in aircraft design, preferably with a focus on eVTOL.
• Solid understanding of aerodynamics, aircraft structures, and propulsion systems, with hands-on experience in design and analysis.
• Experience with simulation & modelling tools (e.g., Starccm+, NX, MATLAB, Simulink) for performance analysis and optimization.
• Knowledge of relevant aviation regulations and certification processes (e.g., FAA, EASA) is highly desirable.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyse complex engineering problems and propose effective solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• A passion for innovation, sustainable aviation, and the future of eVTOL aircraft.
• Prior involvement in a certified or certification-bound aircraft program.
  
  

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Direct experience in the design and development of composite materials for aircraft structures.
• Hands-on experience with electric propulsion systems for aircraft.
• Expertise in lightweight materials and composites used in aircraft design, including advanced manufacturing techniques.
• Previous experience in a startup or fast-paced engineering environment.
• Strong background in the aero structural design and optimization of aircraft components.