Flight-Ready Prototyping Engineer

EngineersOfAI; Greater London, Oxford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Helsing seeks a Rapid Prototyping Engineer to join its defence AI hardware team in the UK. You will translate concepts into flight-ready prototypes for Helsing's advanced drone platforms and own the full build cycle from concept through field testing.

You will collaborate with design and test engineers to identify integration risks, iterate quickly, and keep the developmental fleet mission-ready with hands-on fabrication and wiring, integrating power and avionics systems.

Qualifications

• Experience with unmanned aerial systems through full lifecycle from concept to field testing.
• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD and GD&T principles.
• Hands-on fabrication, assembly, and testing of aerospace hardware.
• Experience integrating flight control platforms and avionics systems.
• Ability to work with evolving requirements and make end-to-end engineering decisions.

Responsibilities

• Design, fabricate and assemble flight‑ready prototypes for complex drone platforms.
• Modify airframes and build wiring harnesses to support rapid iteration.
• Integrate flight controllers (PX4/ArduPilot or equivalents), calibrate sensors and troubleshoot during tests.
• Plan and execute functional and lifetime test campaigns in field environments and use telemetry data to refine CAD models.
• Collaborate with design/test engineers to identify integration risks early and deliver hardware solutions.

Skills

Unmanned aerial systems experience

3D CAD proficiency

Flight control integration

Tools

SolidWorks/PDM

Siemens NX/Teamcenter

FEA software

Job description

Helsing seeks a Rapid Prototyping Engineer to join its defence AI hardware team in the UK. You will translate concepts into flight-ready prototypes for Helsing's advanced drone platforms and own the full build cycle from concept through field testing.

You will collaborate with design and test engineers to identify integration risks, iterate quickly, and keep the developmental fleet mission-ready with hands-on fabrication and wiring, integrating power and avionics systems.