Senior UAV Concept Engineer: End-to-End Design & Flight Test

Saab UK; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Group income protection

Death in service insurance

Share matching scheme

Enhanced parental leave

Job summary

Saab UK, Bedford-based, is seeking a Senior UAV Concept Engineer to own UAV concepts end-to-end, from requirements and CONOPS to a closed design point, build, and flight test. You will run multiple concept studies, calibrate sizing methods with test data, and advance tools used by the team.

You will lead sizing, trade studies, and tests, while developing Python-based design tools and mentoring junior engineers in a fast-iterating, evidence-based environment.

Qualifications

• Typically 5+ years in aircraft or UAV design with at least one built and flown.
• Hands-on use of flight-test or test data to calibrate design models.
• Depth across the conceptual design loop: aerodynamics, weights, propulsion, mission performance, stability and control.
• Concept-design tools such as OpenVSP, AVL or XFLR5, and strong Python for automation and data processing.
• Sound judgement on fidelity and uncertainty; ability to communicate assumptions clearly.
• Ability to gain SC clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own UAV concepts end to end, from requirements to flight-tested design point.
• Lead conceptual sizing and trade studies: weight closure, aerodynamics, propulsion, mission sizing.
• Plan and analyse bench, wind-tunnel and flight tests, calibrating sizing methods with data.
• Develop Python-based concept-design tools and methods.

Skills

5+ years UAV design

flight-test data calibration

conceptual design loop

OpenVSP

AVL

XFLR5

Python

SC clearance

Tools

OpenVSP

AVL

XFLR5

Python

Job description

Saab UK, Bedford-based, is seeking a Senior UAV Concept Engineer to own UAV concepts end-to-end, from requirements and CONOPS to a closed design point, build, and flight test. You will run multiple concept studies, calibrate sizing methods with test data, and advance tools used by the team.

You will lead sizing, trade studies, and tests, while developing Python-based design tools and mentoring junior engineers in a fast-iterating, evidence-based environment.