Head of R&D; – Composites (UAV)

? Thanjavur | Full-Time

We are looking for a highly experienced Head of R&D; – Composites to serve as the organisation’s technical authority for composite design and manufacturing.

This is a senior role that will work closely with the Product Development Team, providing expert guidance on composite airframe design, structural optimisation, mould/tooling strategy, material selection, and manufacturability, while taking complete ownership of the Composite Fabrication Team and processes.

Key Responsibilities

- Advise the Product Development Team on composite airframe design, structural concepts, material selection, laminate design, and manufacturability.
- Review and optimise UAV wings, fuselage, control surfaces, fairings, and other composite structures for weight, strength, stiffness, and production feasibility.
- Provide technical leadership for mould and tooling design, including mould architecture, master patterns, bonding/assembly fixtures, and production tooling.
- Lead the complete Composite Fabrication Team, from prototype development through production.
- Establish and optimise prepreg layup, vacuum bagging, oven/autoclave curing, wet layup, bonding, trimming, finishing, and assembly processes.
- Define laminate schedules, ply orientation, core materials, adhesives, curing cycles, and composite manufacturing standards.
- Lead composite prototype development, process trials, structural testing, failure analysis, and continuous improvement.
- Establish SOPs, quality controls, inspection criteria,



process documentation, and workmanship standards.
- Develop the composite team's capabilities, infrastructure, equipment, and production processes as UAV programs scale.
- Work closely with Product Development, Tooling, Quality, Manufacturing, and Flight Test teams to resolve airframe and composite-related challenges.

Requirements
- 6+ years of hands-on experience in advanced composite design and manufacturing, preferably in UAV or aerospace applications.
- Deep expertise in prepreg carbon fibre, GFRP, sandwich structures, honeycomb/foam cores, adhesives, and composite tooling.
- Solid experience in UAV/aerospace airframe design optimisation and composite structural manufacturing.
- Proven experience designing and developing composite moulds and production tooling.
- Strong understanding of laminate design, structural bonding, curing processes, GD&T;, tolerances, and composite inspection/testing.
- Demonstrated experience leading composite fabrication teams and establishing production processes.
- Strong ability to review engineering designs and provide practical recommendations based on structural performance and manufacturability.

Ideal Candidate We are looking for someone who has personally taken composite aerospace/UAV structures from design review → mould/tooling development → prototype fabrication → testing → design optimisation → production and can act as the company's senior technical mentor for all composite-related engineering and manufacturing decisions.

📌 Head of R&D – Composites (UAV) (Thanjavur)
🏢 Yali Aerospace
📍 Thanjavur