Senior UAV Payload Engineer — Defense & R&D

Skyeton; North Las Vegas (NV); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

401k plan with company match

Medical insurance

Innovative projects

Career opportunities

Referral program

Job summary

Skyeton in the United States is seeking a senior payload engineer to design, integrate, and validate advanced UAV payloads for multi‑platform use. You will lead hardware/software integration, RF systems, and ground-control communications, supporting high‑end demos and flight tests in demanding environments.

The role emphasizes hands-on prototyping, lab work, and collaboration across international teams, with potential access to security clearance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in UAS/DoW domains with multidisciplinary integration.
• Experience designing and testing payloads for UAV platforms.
• Knowledge of RF systems and radio integration on UAS.
• Ability to obtain US security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and test unique UAS payloads for Skyeton UAVs.
• Integrate COTS and TRL 5–9 equipment to UAVs.
• Perform electrical, mechanical, and software integration of payloads.
• Design comms architectures with ground control stations.
• Architect mission capabilities using multiple UAS and payloads.
• Mentor junior engineers and assist in hiring.
• Support build-out of R&D labs in Las Vegas.
• Test and validate systems for flight tests and demos.
• Provide onboard or remote engineering support for flights.

Skills

UAS engineering

DoW contracts

Electrical engineering

RF engineering

Flight testing

Security clearance

Systems integration

Lab testing

Multidisciplinary

Attention to detail

Education

Electrical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Computer science

Aerospace engineering

Systems engineering

Tools

Altium

SolidWorks

CAD software

PCB design

Job description

Skyeton in the United States is seeking a senior payload engineer to design, integrate, and validate advanced UAV payloads for multi‑platform use. You will lead hardware/software integration, RF systems, and ground-control communications, supporting high‑end demos and flight tests in demanding environments.

The role emphasizes hands-on prototyping, lab work, and collaboration across international teams, with potential access to security clearance.