UAV/Drone R&D Engineer

AMF Inc.; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

AMF Inc. in Hyderabad is seeking a senior UAV engineering leader to drive design, integration, and validation across propulsion, flight control, avionics, and payload systems.

You will mentor a team of UAV engineers, set engineering standards, review designs, and ensure safety, quality, and regulatory compliance throughout the product lifecycle. You will collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, testing, and operations to deliver scalable UAV platforms, oversee system integration, performance

Qualifications

• 7+ years of UAV/UAV industry experience with hands-on design, development, integration, testing and deployment.
• Experience designing and developing multirotor, fixed-wing, or hybrid UAV systems.
• Proven experience integrating mechanical, electrical, avionics, propulsion, power, communication, flight-control, navigation, and payload systems.
• Strong understanding of UAV flight dynamics, stability, navigation, flight-control and autopilot systems.
• Knowledge of flight controllers, motors, ESCs, batteries, GPS/GNSS, sensors, telemetry and other UAV components.
• Hands-on experience integrating UAV hardware with flight-control software, firmware, sensors, and onboard systems.
• Practical experience in UAV flight testing, system validation, performance evaluation, troubleshooting and failure analysis.
• Proven experience taking UAV products from concept through testing, validation and deployment.
• Minimum 2 years leading UAV engineering teams or technical projects.
• Familiarity with UAV regulations, safety standards, certification requirements and compliance processes.
• Experience with CAD, MATLAB/Simulink, simulation, analysis, CAM and PLM tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development and integration of UAV systems and subsystems.
• Mentor UAV engineers, establish engineering best practices, review designs.
• Oversee integration of mechanical, electrical, avionics, software, propulsion, power and payload systems.
• Drive UAV R&D and product innovation by evaluating new technologies and features.
• Lead UAV system testing, ground and flight testing, validation and performance evaluation.
• Continuously optimize UAV designs to improve flight performance, endurance and reliability.
• Ensure safety, quality and regulatory compliance; participate in design reviews and risk assessments.
• Collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, production, testing and operations to meet requirements.
• Oversee engineering activities through product lifecycle from concept to deployment.
• Maintain technical documentation and present updates to senior management.

Skills

UAV industry experience

UAV design & development

System integration

Flight control & dynamics

Avionics & UAV components

Hardware & software integration

Flight testing & validation

R&D & product development

Technical leadership

Regulatory & safety compliance

Engineering & simulation tools

Education

Bachelors or Masters in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical/Mechatronics

4-6 years UAV industry experience

2+ years technical leadership in UAV engineering

Tools

CAD

MATLAB/Simulink

Simulation

CAM

PLM tools

Job description

Role & responsibilities

• Lead UAV Development: Lead the design, development, and integration of UAV systems and subsystems, ensuring performance, safety, reliability, and scalability. Provide technical direction across propulsion, flight control, power, avionics, communication, and payload systems.
• Team Leadership: Lead, manage, and mentor a team of UAV engineers. Provide technical guidance, establish engineering best practices, review designs, and foster a collaborative and high-performance engineering environment.
• UAV System Integration: Oversee the integration of mechanical, electrical, avionics, software, propulsion, power, communication, flight-control, and payload systems to develop fully functional UAV platforms.
• R&D and Innovation: Drive UAV R&D and product innovation by evaluating emerging technologies, developing new features, improving existing systems, and identifying opportunities to enhance UAV performance and capabilities.
• Testing and Validation: Lead UAV system testing, ground testing, flight testing, validation, and performance evaluation. Identify technical issues, conduct failure analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Design Optimization: Continuously evaluate and optimize UAV designs to improve flight performance, payload capacity, endurance, reliability, efficiency, and overall system performance using engineering analysis and simulation tools.
• Quality, Safety & Compliance: Ensure UAV designs and systems meet applicable safety, quality, regulatory, and certification requirements. Participate in design reviews, technical audits, risk assessments, and safety evaluations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with R&D, manufacturing, production, testing, operations, sales, and other cross-functional teams to ensure UAV products meet technical, production, customer, and business requirements.
• Product Lifecycle Management: Oversee engineering activities throughout the product lifecycle, from concept development and prototyping to testing, validation, production, deployment, and continuous improvement.
• Technical Documentation & Reporting: Maintain technical documentation including design specifications, engineering reports, test plans, test results, design reviews, and failure analysis reports. Present technical updates and recommendations to senior management.

Preferred candidate profile

• Mandatory UAV/Drone Industry Experience: 7+ years of professional experience specifically in the UAV/Drone industry, with hands-on experience in UAV design, development, system integration, testing, and deployment.
• UAV Design & Development: Strong experience designing and developing multirotor, fixed-wing, or hybrid UAV systems.
• UAV System Integration: Proven experience integrating mechanical, electrical, avionics, propulsion, power, communication, flight-control, navigation, and payload systems.
• Flight Control & Dynamics: Strong understanding of UAV flight dynamics, stability, navigation, flight-control systems, and autopilot systems.
• Avionics & UAV Components: Strong knowledge of flight controllers, motors, ESCs, batteries, GPS/GNSS, sensors, telemetry, communication systems, and other UAV components.
• Hardware & Software Integration: Hands-on experience integrating UAV hardware with flight-control software, firmware, sensors, and onboard systems.
• Flight Testing & Validation: Practical experience in UAV flight testing, system validation, performance evaluation, troubleshooting, and failure analysis.
• R&D and Product Development: Proven experience taking UAV products from concept and prototyping through testing, validation, and deployment.
• Technical Leadership: Minimum 2 years of experience leading UAV engineering teams or technical projects, with the ability to mentor engineers and provide technical direction.
• Regulatory & Safety Compliance: Working knowledge of applicable UAV regulations, safety standards, certification requirements, and compliance processes.
• Engineering & Simulation Tools: Experience with relevant UAV engineering tools such as CAD, MATLAB/Simulink, simulation, analysis, CAM, and PLM tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline.
• 4- 6 years of professional experience in the UAV/drone industry is mandatory.
• 2+ years of experience in a technical leadership role within UAV/Drone engineering is mandatory.
• Proven track record of designing, developing, integrating, testing, and deploying UAV systems.
• Strong hands-on experience across UAV hardware, avionics, flight control, propulsion, power, navigation, communication, and payload systems.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams including R&D, manufacturing, testing, production, and operations.
• Experience with UAV regulatory compliance, certification, quality assurance, and safety processes is highly preferred.