Systems Engineer (Unmanned Aircraft Systems/UAS)

Systems Engineer (Unmanned Aircraft Systems / UAS)

The Systems Engineer is responsible for the end-to-end engineering, integration, and lifecycle support of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This role focuses on translating operational needs into system requirements, ensuring effective subsystem integration (aircraft, avionics, payload, ground control, communications), and supporting verification, validation, and technical documentation. The Systems Engineer works closely with cross-functional engineering teams, operations, and stakeholders to ensure UAS platforms meet performance, safety, and mission objectives.

Key Responsibilities
Systems Engineering & Integration

• Develop and manage system-level requirements, specifications, and interface definitions for UAS platforms.
• Perform system integration across UAS subsystems including air vehicle, avionics, payloads, GCS, communications, and power systems.
• Support system architecture development, trade studies, and design reviews.
• Define and manage Interface Control Documents (ICD) and system configuration baselines.

Verification, Validation & Testing

• Develop verification and validation (V&V) plans, test procedures, and acceptance criteria.
• Support lab testing and field testing activities; analyze test data and document results.
• Identify system risks, failure modes, and reliability issues; recommend mitigations and improvements.
• Investigate technical issues, conduct root-cause analysis, and drive corrective actions.

Documentation & Stakeholder Support

• Produce and maintain engineering documentation including requirements matrices, test reports, integration plans, and technical manuals.
• Collaborate with operations/field teams to capture user feedback and improve system performance.
• Provide technical support during customer demonstrations, deployments, and operational missions when required.
• Ensure compliance with relevant safety standards, aviation procedures, and internal engineering processes.
  
  Required Qualifications

• Degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience in systems engineering, integration engineering, or technical project engineering for complex systems (UAS, aviation, defense systems, robotics, telecom, automotive, etc.).
• Strong understanding of systems engineering processes
• Ability to analyze technical problems across multiple subsystems and propose structured solutions.
• Strong documentation skills and ability to produce engineering deliverables clearly and accurately.
• Good cross-functional communication skills and ability to work with engineering, operations, and customer stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with UAS platforms, avionics systems, or mission payloads.
• Knowledge of communication links (RF/telemetry), navigation (GPS/INS), and mission planning systems.
• Familiarity with systems engineering tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, JIRA/Confluence, MATLAB, Python, etc.).
• Experience supporting flight test campaigns, field deployments, or acceptance testing.
• Understanding of aviation standards, safety compliance, or defense engineering practices.
• Prior exposure to configuration management and change control processes.
• Experience with PX4 and Ardupilot