Senior UAV Design Engineer

Matchtech; Havant; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Matchtech is seeking a Senior UAV Design Engineer to take technical ownership of unmanned aerial vehicle systems. You will drive the design lifecycle from concept to validation and low-volume production, while mentoring the engineering team and defining architecture direction.

The role demands hands-on mechanical design with hardware integration, balancing performance, weight, cost, and schedule in a fast-paced aerospace environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive hands-on UAV design experience.
• Ability to set design standards and technical direction.
• Strong capability in balancing performance, manufacturability, weight and cost.

Responsibilities

• Take design authority for UAV platforms across mechanical, electrical and systems workstreams.
• Mentor and review junior/mid-level engineers and guide their development.
• Own key design decisions and trade-offs for performance and schedule.
• Design and own high-performance UAV airframes, payload structures and assemblies using Fusion 360.
• Produce production-ready CAD models and drawings, maintaining team design standards.

Skills

UAV design

Mechanical design

Systems integration

Technical leadership

Mentorship

Fusion 360

Tools

Fusion 360

Job description

My client a innovative and well resptected Tech company is seeking an experienced Senior UAV Design Engineer to take technical ownership of their unmanned aerial vehicle systems. With significant hands-on experience in the UAV field, you will lead the design lifecycle - from concept and prototyping through to integration, validation, and low-volume production - while providing technical direction and mentorship across the engineering team.

This is a senior, highly autonomous role for an engineer who can blend cutting-edge mechanical design with hands-on hardware integration, set technical standards, and represent engineering in decisions on architecture, suppliers, and programme risk, in a fast-paced environment building the next generation of aerospace technology.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Take design authority for UAV platforms, setting technical direction across mechanical, electronic, and systems integration workstreams.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior and mid-level design engineers, reviewing their work and supporting their development.
• Own key design decisions and trade-offs, balancing performance, manufacturability, weight, cost, and programme timescales.

Mechanical & Structural Design

• Design and take ownership of high-performance UAV airframes, payload structures, and mechanical assemblies using Fusion 360.
• Develop and review detailed CAD models and production-ready technical drawings, ensuring design standards are maintained across the team.This is a superb opportunity ,with Signifcant opportunity to build a team around you.