UAV Aerospace System Engineer

Swift Engineering•San Clemente, CA

About The Position

We are seeking a highly capable UAV Aerospace Engineer to lead the architectural design and system-level integration of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles. This role requires deep technical expertise in autonomous flight systems and close collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. Experience with High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) is strongly desired. The ideal candidate combines strong engineering fundamentals with leadership ability and a systems-thinking mindset.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
Strong understanding of autonomous systems and control with 10+ years experience
Experience with autopilot architectures
Familiarity with Ground Control Stations (GCS)
Understanding of radio systems and RF operations
Experience with UAV system integration and flight operations
Experience with Matlab/Simulink and SolidWork
Ability to work effectively across multiple teams and disciplines
Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Engineering or Physics
Experience with High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) or long-endurance UAVs
Background in aircraft conceptual or preliminary design
Experience leading or mentoring engineering teams
Familiarity with regulatory, safety, and operational constraints for UAVs

Responsibilities

Lead the architectural and system-level design of fixed-wing UAV platform
Define and integrate autonomous flight systems, including autopilot, navigation, and mission logic
Oversee aircraft performance, configuration, and trade studies (aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, power)
Collaborate closely with avionics, software, RF, operations, manufacturing, and test teams
Provide technical leadership to a small, high-performance engineering team
Support flight test planning, execution, and post-flight analysis
Interface with internal stakeholders and external partners as needed
Contribute to system documentation, requirements definition, and design reviews
Support field operations and customer engagements, including travel as required

Benefits

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge UAV and HAPS platforms
High-impact technical leadership role with real system ownership
Collaborative, mission-driven engineering environment
9/80 Schedule
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance - 100% covered for Employees
Dental Insurance - 100% covered for Employees
Life Insurance - 100% covered by Swift, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
401k with company match
Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a holiday hiatus in December, and highly competitive PTO plans.
16 weeks of paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave to care for a family member, bond with your baby, or tend to your own medical condition.
Family Planning & Parenting Support: Fertility (eg, IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carrier coverage with additional benefits and resources to provide support from planning to parenting.