Senior Drone Engineer

About the role

HavocAI is seeking a Senior Drone Engineer to lead the technical maturation of Locust, its advanced unmanned aircraft system, as it moves from prototype to a Department of Defense fieldable, low‑rate initial production platform. In this hands‑on leadership role you will be responsible for airframe design, structural analysis, and system‑level integration while ensuring production schedules and budgets are met.

Key responsibilities

• Lead structural design and analysis of airframe components, including static, fatigue, and crashworthiness assessments.
• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) reviews to convert prototype designs into repeatable, production‑ready hardware.
• Own material selection, composite manufacturing processes, and supplier qualification for primary and secondary structures.
• Develop and execute structural test programs (coupon, component, full‑vehicle) to support airworthiness certification and LRIP milestones.
• Maintain the airframe configuration baseline, manage engineering change orders, drawing releases, and configuration management.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, and payload teams to integrate subsystems while meeting weight and structural targets.
• Lead first‑article inspections, production acceptance testing, and create build‑to‑print packages, work instructions, and inspection criteria.
• Support flight‑test campaigns by analyzing results, driving corrective actions, and implementing design improvements.

Required profile

• Proven experience in aerospace or unmanned aircraft structural engineering, preferably at senior or lead level.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex engineering programs and coordinate with manufacturing partners and government customers.
• Strong background in material selection, composite manufacturing, and supplier qualification.
• Experience delivering airframe designs to production readiness and supporting certification efforts.

Required skills

• Structural design and analysis (static, fatigue, crashworthiness)
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
• Composite manufacturing processes
• Material selection for aerospace structures
• Structural testing and airworthiness certification
• Configuration management and engineering change control
• Systems integration with propulsion, avionics, and payload subsystems