Lead UCAV Project Engineer – Air Dominance Systems

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.; Poway (CA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is a global leader in UCAVs, autonomy, AI solutions, defense tech, and advanced sensing.

The Agile Mission Systems (AMS) in San Diego, CA seeks high-performing engineers for the Project Engineering role to lead cross-disciplinary teams delivering missionized architectures across multiple UCAV platforms. The position emphasizes end-to-end mission systems engineering, fighter-expertise, and collaboration with DoD stakeholders, P&Ls, and customers

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering or related field; progressive engineering experience required (15+ yrs with Bachelor's, 13+ with Master's, 10+ with PhD).
• Former military fighter pilot or weapon systems officer with >1000 hrs on 4th/5th Gen platforms is a plus.
• Test Pilot School graduate a plus (USNTPS, USAFTPS, NTPS).
• Proven ability to grasp new concepts quickly and apply them in dynamic environments.
• Experience in integrating hardware/software across Mechanical, Electrical, RF, Cyber, Autonomy, AI/ML, and Software.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-disciplinary engineering teams across air dominance mission solutions.
• Define air-to-air tactics and doctrine for autonomous UCAV initiatives.
• Design realistic engagement scenarios and simulation frameworks for training and evaluation.
• Drive end-to-end mission system architectures across multiple UCAV platforms.
• Create system specifications, diagrams, interfaces, and ICDs for UCAV data link networks.
• Lead program execution, reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR), and customer engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Customer-focused

Team management

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering or related field

Job description

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is a global leader in UCAVs, autonomy, AI solutions, defense tech, and advanced sensing.

The Agile Mission Systems (AMS) in San Diego, CA seeks high-performing engineers for the Project Engineering role to lead cross-disciplinary teams delivering missionized architectures across multiple UCAV platforms. The position emphasizes end-to-end mission systems engineering, fighter-expertise, and collaboration with DoD stakeholders, P&Ls, and customers