Aeronautical Engineering Team Lead

Lead the engineering behind a product that’s changing how the world flies. MAKO is an aerospace technology company focused on improving the efficiency of the global aviation fleet by bringing our shark-skin-inspired drag reduction product, Flightfilm, to commercial and defense aircraft. Flightfilm can deliver up to 4% efficiency gains, reducing carbon emissions by millions of tonnes every year. Founded and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, MAKO works with some of the largest airlines and aircraft manufacturers worldwide to deliver scalable, near-term efficiency gains for aviation that bridge the gap between today's operating fleets and the next generation of aircraft technologies.

We’re looking for an Aeronautical Engineering Team Lead to take Flightfilm’s design and development to the next level. You’ll own complex engineering programs from planning through execution and evaluation, and lead the team that makes it happen. Reporting to our Head of Product Engineering, you’ll work hand in hand with our Certification, Materials, Verification & Validation, Manufacturing, and Quality teams. Together you’ll make sure we are building the best product possible. This is a rare chance to put your engineering leadership into something with real, measurable climate impact.

What you’ll do:

• Lead and grow a world-class engineering team that designs and develops Flightfilm.
• Own the aerodynamic design and development strategy end to end, covering Flightfilm itself, from the riblet microstructures down to the layout design and installation on aircraft.
• Keep the team aligned with MAKO’s technical goals, certification roadmap, and business priorities.
• Set the standards for design processes and documentation across systems and requirements engineering, risk management, product architecture, and configuration control.
• Find ways to improve work processes and bring best practices to simulation, design, testing, and evaluation.
• Mentor engineers and strengthen the team's skills in simulation, design, and evidence-based decision-making.

Your first month:

• Get under the hood of Flightfilm. Learn our product architecture, material behaviour, installation and removal processes, and current design program statuses.
• Review current design and simulation procedures, documentation, reports, risk registers, and evaluation methods.
• Build strong working relationships with our Certification, Materials, Verification & Validation, and Manufacturing teams.

Your first six months:

• Lead the team through key design programs to achieve certification and regulatory approval for MAKO’s first product.
• Improve simulation and design methods, systems engineering processes, templates, and risk-based planning.
• Enhance confidence, efficiency, and clarity in testing operations and reporting.

Your first year:

• Grow your team’s capability with development plans targeting essential skills.
• Establish MAKO-wide best practices for aero design, systems engineering, simulation, and risk management.
• Shape MAKO’s longer-term aeronautical design and development strategy.

About you:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering or similar.
• Track record leading cross-disciplinary teams in highly technical, regulated fields such as aerospace, medical, or automotive.
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading complex product design and development programs.
• Strong understanding of fluid mechanics principles and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
• Thrive in a fast-moving, ambiguous, and constantly evolving startup environment.
• Enjoy mentoring junior and senior engineers and guiding them in making evidence-based technical decisions.

Why you should join MAKO:

• Impact: Join our mission to improve the efficiency of the global fleet and save millions of tonnes of CO2 every year.
• Technology: Our technology leverages the drag-reducing properties of shark skin to enhance aircraft efficiency.
• Team: We focus on achieving our mission and welcome new team members who share our values.
• Corporate Jet: We have (most of) a corporate jet. It won’t fly, but it sure does look cool.

MAKO is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from every background.