UAV Electronics Integration Engineer

UAV Electronics/Integration Engineer

Location: Shaftesbury, Dorset – On site initially

Duration: Initial 6–12 month contract

Rate: circa £60 ph Ltd

Outside IR35

We are seeking a versatile UAV Electronics & Systems Integration Engineer with strong practical experience taking early-stage engineering concepts through to functional prototypes, system integration, testing, and validation.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate early-stage UAV concepts and operational requirements into practical electronic and system designs.
• Develop and prototype electronic hardware, interfaces, power systems, sensors, communications, and other UAV subsystems.
• Support schematic design, PCB development, component selection, wiring, harnessing, and hardware bring-up.
• Integrate electronic, avionics, flight-control, navigation, communications, payload, and power subsystems into complete UAV platforms.
• Develop and execute engineering test plans, integration procedures, verification activities, and validation trials.
• Work closely with mechanical, software, firmware, flight-controls, systems, manufacturing, and test engineers to deliver integrated UAV systems.

Technical Experience

Candidates should ideally have practical experience across a broad range of UAV electronics and systems engineering activities, including:

• UAV/avionics electronics integration and development.
• Digital and analogue electronics.
• Embedded systems and microcontroller-based hardware.
• Power distribution, power management, batteries, and electrical architectures.
• Sensors, navigation systems, telemetry, communications, and data interfaces.
• Common electronic interfaces and protocols such as CAN, UART, SPI, I²C, Ethernet, RS-232/422/485, or similar.
• PCB design, prototyping, soldering, wiring, harnesses, and hardware debugging.
• Hardware/software integration and system bring-up.
• Requirements, interface control, system architecture, and configuration management.
• System-level integration, verification, and validation.
• Ground and flight testing of UAV systems.

Experience & Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience developing or integrating electronics within UAVs, drones, robotics, aerospace, automotive, defence, or other complex embedded systems.
• Experience taking engineering concepts from initial design through prototype, integration, testing, and validation.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to interpret requirements and translate them into practical engineering solutions.
• Experience working with incomplete or evolving requirements and adapting designs accordingly.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with autonomous or remotely piloted UAV platforms.
• Familiarity with flight-control systems, autopilots, navigation, GNSS, IMUs, and related avionics.
• Experience with RF/telemetry systems and wireless communications.
• Experience with environmental, EMC/EMI, vibration, thermal, or reliability testing.
• Knowledge of aerospace/defence development standards and engineering processes.
• Experience with safety-critical or mission-critical systems.
• Familiarity with CAD/ECAD tools and PCB design software.
• Experience with requirements management and systems engineering tools.
• Experience supporting flight-test campaigns and operational trials.