Lead Drone Design and Integration Engineer | UAS and Autonomous Systems

XCaliber Technologies; Norfolk (CT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

XCaliber Technologies in the United States is a cutting-edge defense contractor seeking a Lead Drone Design and Integration Engineer to own the architecture and vehicle integration of unmanned aircraft platforms.

This hands-on leadership role spans airframe, propulsion, avionics, sensing, and payload integration, taking concepts through flight-proven systems while balancing performance, weight, endurance, cost, and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Own aircraft architecture, subsystems interfaces, and major interfaces across airframe, propulsion, avionics, sensors.
• Define configurations, interfaces, and engineering requirements with practical tradeoffs.
• Hands-on CAD capability and experience turning designs into working hardware.
• Lead prototype builds, ground tests, flight testing, and design iteration.
• Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Robotics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Own aircraft architecture and vehicle integration from initial requirements through prototype development, flight testing, iteration, and production.
• Define aircraft configurations, subsystem requirements, and major interfaces across airframe, propulsion, power, avionics, sensors, communications, and payloads.
• Drive aircraft level engineering tradeoffs across weight, CG, speed, endurance, payload capacity, reliability, and cost.
• Lead component selection and mechanical, electrical, and hardware and software integration across the complete aircraft.
• Establish and manage key aircraft constraints and budgets, including mass, center of gravity, power, thermal performance, and payload capacity.
• Drive prototype builds, ground and flight testing, troubleshooting, failure investigation, and rapid design iteration.
• Use engineering analysis, test data, and flight results to validate performance and guide vehicle level design decisions.
• Lead design, integration, and flight readiness reviews while coordinating multidisciplinary engineering work and resolving problems across aircraft subsystems.
• Guide aircraft from rapid prototypes toward reliable, repeatable, and manufacturable production hardware.

Skills

Unmanned aircraft design

System integration

Prototype development

Flight testing

Technical leadership

CAD proficiency

Education

Aerospace Engineering degree

Tools

CAD software

PX4

ArduPilot

Python

C/C++

Job description

XCaliber Technologies is building the next generation of autonomous air defense. We develop integrated Counter UAS systems combining autonomy, sensing, command and control, and purpose built aircraft to detect, track, and defeat evolving aerial threats at machine speed and at scale.

At XCaliber, the connection between your work and the mission is direct. You will build systems whose performance can shape outcomes on the battlefield, protect people, and strengthen national security.

The Role

We are looking for a Lead Drone Design and Integration Engineer to own the design, architecture, and vehicle level integration of our unmanned aircraft platforms.

This is a deeply hands on technical leadership role. You will take aircraft from early concepts to flight proven systems while driving engineering decisions across airframe, propulsion, power, avionics, sensing, communications, payloads, and manufacturing.

You will be responsible for making the aircraft work as a complete system, balancing performance, weight, endurance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and development speed.

What You Will Do

• Own aircraft architecture and vehicle integration from initial requirements through prototype development, flight testing, iteration, and production.
• Define aircraft configurations, subsystem requirements, and major interfaces across airframe, propulsion, power, avionics, sensors, communications, and payloads.
• Drive aircraft level engineering tradeoffs across weight, center of gravity, speed, endurance, payload capacity, reliability, and cost.
• Lead component selection and mechanical, electrical, and hardware and software integration across the complete aircraft.
• Establish and manage key aircraft constraints and budgets, including mass, center of gravity, power, thermal performance, and payload capacity.
• Drive prototype builds, ground and flight testing, troubleshooting, failure investigation, and rapid design iteration.
• Use engineering analysis, test data, and flight results to validate performance and guide vehicle level design decisions.
• Lead design, integration, and flight readiness reviews while coordinating multidisciplinary engineering work and resolving problems across aircraft subsystems.
• Guide aircraft from rapid prototypes toward reliable, repeatable, and manufacturable production hardware.

What We Are Looking For

• Strong hands on experience designing, building, and integrating unmanned aircraft systems, aircraft systems, or closely related autonomous vehicles, with demonstrated ownership through prototype development and testing.
• Ability to define aircraft architecture, subsystem interfaces, and engineering requirements, and make practical tradeoffs across performance, weight, power, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and technical risk.
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals and practical CAD capability, with experience turning designs into working hardware.
• Solid understanding of aircraft performance, flight dynamics, and the integration of airframe, propulsion, power, avionics, sensors, communications, and onboard computing.
• Experience integrating hardware and software and troubleshooting issues across aircraft subsystems, including flight controls, electrical systems, avionics, and communications.
• Experience planning and conducting ground and flight tests, using engineering analysis and test data to identify problems, validate performance, and improve designs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical decisions and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering efforts while remaining directly involved in design, builds, troubleshooting, and field testing.
• A degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to Have

• Experience taking aircraft or complex robotic hardware from prototype toward repeatable manufacturing and production.
• Familiarity with autopilot platforms such as PX4 or ArduPilot, and programming or scripting skills such as Python or C/C++ for testing, analysis, or integration.
• Additional depth in electric propulsion, aircraft controls, composite structures, lightweight design, modeling and simulation, radio frequency systems, or payload integration.
• Experience with multirotor, fixed wing, or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
• Experience in defense or counter drone applications is valuable but not required.