UAS Combustion Engine Systems

Griffon Aerospace; Madison (AL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Paid time off

Relocation assistance

Impactful work

Job summary

Griffon Aerospace in Madison, AL designs, builds, and flies unmanned aerial systems, offering a hands-on propulsion engineering role focused on two-stroke engines. You will own the lifecycle of up to four engine platforms from concept through production, collaborating with cross-functional teams and suppliers.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in internal combustion engine design or sustaining engineering, hands-on two-stroke experience, and a track record with qualification/certification

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in internal combustion engine design, development, or sustaining engineering with two-stroke engines.
• Experience taking an engine through qualification or certification.
• Experience managing suppliers or vendors for critical mechanical components.
• Knowledge of reliability engineering (FMEA, MTBF/MTBUR) and CAD/PLM systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to prepare technical reports for customers.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, analysis, and continuous improvement of two-stroke UAV engines, including fuel systems, ignition, cooling, and exhaust tuning.
• Own root-cause investigations and corrective actions for engine issues identified in test or field.
• Balance power density, fuel efficiency, weight, and reliability for UAV operation envelopes.
• Collaborate with airframe, avionics, and manufacturing teams to ensure engine integration satisfies platform requirements.
• Provide technical support to production, field service, and customer support teams.

Skills

Two-stroke engines

Internal combustion engines

Reliability engineering

CAD tools (SolidWorks)

Supplier management

Technical report writing

Security clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree—Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

SolidWorks

PLM systems

Job description

Who We Are

Griffon Aerospace designs, builds, and flies unmanned aerial systems that perform. We are a focused team of engineers and operators who care about mission success before satisfying any other 'metrics.' We don't hand work off and walk away. We own it. Our culture is defined by technical rigor, follow-through, and refusal to accept 'good enough.'

The Role

We're looking for someone to take ownership of our internal combustion systems across our UAS portfolio. Griffon both works with suppliers and develops our own propulsion systems. Small two-stroke engine specialty is required. Griffon hires engineers who have built things that fly and know what it means to get hardware from a drawing board to a flight line. You'll own the lifecycle of up to 4 different engine platforms end-to-end - from the first requirement written to the last configuration signed off before production - and you'll be in the weeds with every engineering team and contractor that touches it along the way.

You should know your way around an aircraft development program, understand what integration involves, and be comfortable working at a test range or a factory floor as easily as at a desk running analysis tools.

This role is responsible for ensuring engine reliability and airworthiness from concept through fielded sustainment, including new engine development, sustaining engineering on deployed platforms, supplier oversight, and certification support. The ideal candidate combines hands-on two-stroke engine expertise with the systems-engineering discipline needed to manage a critical component through its full lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Design & Sustaining Engineering

• Lead design, analysis, and continuous improvement of two-stroke UAV engines, including fuel systems, ignition, cooling, and induction/exhaust tuning.
• Own root-cause investigations and corrective actions for engine issues identified in test or in the field; manage engineering change requests through the full approval cycle.
• Balance power density, fuel efficiency, weight, and reliability trade-offs specific to UAV operating envelopes and mission profiles.
• Collaborate with airframe, avionics, and manufacturing teams to ensure engine integration meets platform-level requirements.
• Provide technical support to production, field service, and customer support teams for fielded engines.

Reliability & Durability Testing

• Develop and execute test plans for endurance, environmental, and altitude/thermal qualification of engines and components.
• Define and track reliability metrics (MTBF, MTBUR) and failure modes across the engine fleet; drive design and process changes from test and field data.
• Oversee bench and flight test instrumentation, data collection, and reporting for propulsion test campaigns.
• Maintain engineering documentation, drawings, and technical data packages in compliance with applicable military and industry standards.
• Prepare technical substantiation, test reports, and compliance evidence for customer and regulatory review.

Supplier & Vendor Management

• Identify, qualify, and manage engine and component suppliers, including source inspections and incoming quality requirements.
• Manage supplier corrective action requests (SCARs) and work with vendors to resolve quality, cost, and schedule issues.
• Support make/buy decisions and second-source strategies to reduce supply chain risk for critical engine components.

What We're Looking For

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in internal combustion engine design, development, or sustaining engineering, with direct hands-on experience with two-stroke engines.
• Demonstrated experience taking an engine or engine component through a qualification or certification process.
• Experience managing suppliers or vendors for critical mechanical components.
• Working knowledge of reliability engineering principles (FMEA, root-cause analysis, MTBF/MTBUR).
• Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks or equivalent) and engineering documentation/PLM systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing technical reports and customer-facing documentation.
• U.S. Citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience with UAV/UAS propulsion systems or other small, high-cycle, weight-constrained engine applications.
• Familiarity with military airworthiness or certification standards (e.g., MIL-HDBK-516, AS9100 quality systems).
• Experience with engine test cell design, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
• Background supporting DoD or government aerospace programs.
• Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline.

The Kind of Person Who Thrives Here

You Show Up.

When something is broken in the field, you're on a plane. You don't manage from behind a screen.

You don't quit.

Problems are resolved, not deferred. You find a way or you make one.

You own the outcome but share the glory.

The whole thing. If the program is late, that's yours. If it delivers, the team is praised not just you.

You communicate first.

Plans, issues, and new data travels fast here.

What Griffon Offers

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience and clearance level
• Comprehensive benefits: medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and 11 federal holidays
• Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates
• A small company where your decisions matter and your fingerprints are on real hardware flying real missions

Griffon Aerospace – Come Build the Unfair Advantage.