Senior UAV Systems Engineer

Stark Defence; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Stark Defence seeks a Senior UAV Systems Engineer to own the platform architecture for next‑generation unmanned systems. You will bridge high‑level requirements with deployable hardware, leading system integration, verification, and rigorous testing campaigns to ensure airworthiness and mission readiness.

You will lead cross‑discipline teams across mechanical, electrical, avionics and software, drive safety programs, and manage requirements baselines with MBSE approaches.

Qualifications

• Degree in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Robotic or related engineering field.
• Significant experience with UAVs, autonomous aircraft, or safety-critical aerospace platforms.
• Experience integrating UAS subsystems: power, propulsion, RF/EMC, sensors, datalinks, flight controllers, payload interfaces.
• Proven requirements capture, compliance analysis, and V&V activities; DOORS or similar.
• Familiarity with ARP4754A/ARP4761/DO-178C/DO-254 and configuration management.

Responsibilities

• Set and maintain system architecture for UAS platforms from concept to deployment.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, avionics, software, and flight test teams throughout the lifecycle.
• Create system architecture concepts, trade studies, budgets, and performance assessments.
• Produce ICDs and enforce interface control across subsystems.
• Maintain requirements baselines, safety requirements, and traceability; MBSE use.

Skills

UAS architecture

Systems engineering

MBSE

Interface control

Safety cases

Requirements analysis

Flight test

UK/Europe travel

Education

Degree in Aerospace/Systems/Engineering

Tools

IBM DOORS

Job description

About Us

STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionising the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop, and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments.

We are focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems, not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe today.

Your mission

You will be a key technical leader for a next-generation Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), driving a holistic, safety-by-design systems engineering approach across the entire product lifecycle. As a Senior UAV Systems Engineer, you will own the overarching platform architecture, defining how complex mechanical, electrical, avionics, and software subsystems interface and operate together. You will bridge the gap between high-level requirements and deployable hardware, managing system integration, verification activities, and leading rigorous testing campaigns to ensure our autonomous systems are robust, compliant, and mission-ready.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority for UAS platform development and upgrades, owning overall system coherency, architecture, and performance from concept through to deployment.

• Work day-to-day within multidisciplinary engineering teams (mechanical, electrical, avionics, software, flight test) to guide full-lifecycle UAS design, integration, and fielding.

• Conceptualise and capture system architecture for new platforms and enhancements, producing technical trade studies, mass/power/link budgets, and system performance assessments.

• Produce layout and system design plans, define Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and enforce interface control processes across complex mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems.

• Establish and maintain requirements baselines, safety requirements, and end-to-end traceability using industry tools (e.g., IBM DOORS) and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approaches.

• Establish and execute the system safety program, coordinating Hazard Assessments (PHA/SHA/SSHA) and FMEA/DFMEA activities to ensure the platform meets stringent airworthiness and safety requirements.

• Implement robust change control processes to manage and assess the impact of engineering modifications on system safety, performance, and compliance.

• Act as the primary technical interface between internal teams, suppliers, and customers to coordinate payload integration and custom hardware/software interfaces for rapid capability delivery.

• Manage tactical engineering tasks during development sprints and live flight-test campaigns, rapidly resolving cross-discipline technical blockers and maintaining strict configuration control.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent) in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Robotic, or a closely related Engineering discipline.

• Significant industry experience with demonstrable systems engineering responsibility specifically on UAVs, autonomous aircraft, or complex, safety-critical aerospace platforms.

• Strong practical experience integrating complex UAS sub-systems: power distribution, propulsion, RF/EMC, EO/IR sensors, datalinks, flight controllers (GNSS/INS), and payload interfaces.

• Proven track record in requirements capture, compliance analysis, and verification/validation (V&V) activities; proficient with requirements management tools (IBM DOORS or similar).

• Familiarity with aerospace safety/airworthiness standards (e.g., ARP4754A, ARP4761, DO-178C, DO-254) and the principles of configuration management in a regulated environment.

• Practical familiarity with MBSE principles, interface control processes, and risk mitigation methodologies (FMEA/DFMEA).

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; highly organised with the ability to lead technical reviews.

• Ability to operate effectively in fast-moving, agile environments and willingness to travel within the UK/Europe for flight testing and field integration.

• Security-cleared or eligible to obtain UK defence clearance.

Desirable

• Prior experience acting as a Systems Engineering Lead on a fielded UAV platform, authoring flight readiness certification and safety assurance documentation.

• Experience integrating complex/custom tactical payloads, electronic warfare (EW) components, or edge-computing hardware for defence customers.

• A background in start-up or scale-up environments where rapid prototyping, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and pragmatic engineering decisions are standard.