Senior UAV Systems Engineer / UAV R&D; Lead

Company: Golden Pearl Defense Systems Pvt. Ltd.

Location: Mhow / Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Employment Type: Full-Time | On-Site

Experience: 3+ Years

Industry: Defence Technology | Aerospace | Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced and technically strong UAV Systems Engineer / UAV R&D; Lead with proven expertise in designing, developing, integrating, testing, and bringing advanced unmanned aerial platforms to production readiness.

The ideal candidate should possess strong hands-on experience in high-performance multirotor UAVs, advanced flight control systems, autonomous navigation, FPV platforms, and mission-specific UAV development.

This is a core technical leadership position requiring practical engineering expertise, system-level decision-making, and the ability to independently drive complex UAV development programs from concept to successful flight validation.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead end-to-end UAV system architecture, design, development, integration, and flight validation.
- Develop and optimize high-performance multirotor and specialized UAV platforms.
- Oversee flight dynamics, propulsion systems, thrust-to-weight optimization, stability, efficiency, and overall flight performance.
- Work extensively with flight controllers, ESCs, BLDC motors, propellers, IMUs, GNSS, onboard sensors, and embedded electronic systems.
- Lead integration and customization of PX4, ArduPilot, Betaflight, and other flight control ecosystems.
- Coordinate development involving autonomous flight, waypoint navigation, sensor integration, telemetry, and communication systems.
- Supervise UAV hardware, embedded firmware, electronics, mechanical design, and system integration activities.
- Lead rapid prototyping, bench testing, flight testing, performance evaluation, and technical troubleshooting.
- Evaluate components, develop BOMs, optimize costs, and coordinate with suppliers and manufacturing partners.
- Establish engineering validation procedures, reliability standards, and production readiness processes.
- Mentor engineering teams and drive technical execution across multiple UAV development projects.

Required Technical Expertise

- Strong practical understanding of UAV aerodynamics, flight dynamics, stability, and control systems.
- Extensive hands-on experience with multirotor UAV architecture, including quadcopters and other specialized configurations.




- In-depth knowledge of propulsion systems, power electronics, battery technologies, and performance optimization.
- Expertise in flight controllers, sensor calibration, tuning, firmware configuration, and flight troubleshooting.
- Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, Betaflight, or custom flight control solutions.
- Sound understanding of GNSS, IMUs, RF communication, telemetry, data links, and navigation systems.
- Ability to evaluate and integrate custom electronics, embedded systems, and onboard computing hardware.
- Practical experience in system integration, hardware debugging, flight log analysis, and performance validation.
- Understanding of UAV manufacturing, quality control, reliability testing, and relevant regulatory requirements.

Preferred Experience

- Development of high-speed, high-agility, or performance-oriented UAV platforms.
- Experience with custom-built FPV and advanced multirotor systems.
- Exposure to autonomous UAV systems and specialized mission-oriented platforms.
- Experience with companion computers, onboard processing, sensor fusion, and computer vision integration.
- Familiarity with ROS/ROS 2, MAVLink, embedded C/C++, Python, and Linux-based UAV development environments.
- Experience in aerospace, defence technology, industrial UAVs, or advanced drone R&D; programs.
- Proven ability to transform early-stage prototypes into reliable, field-tested, production-ready products.

Candidate Requirements

- Minimum 3 years of relevant UAV/drone engineering or product development experience.
- Proven hands-on involvement in the development and successful flight testing of real-world UAV platforms.
- Strong understanding of complete UAV architecture, not limited to any single component or subsystem.
- Demonstrated technical leadership, independent problem-solving ability, and multidisciplinary coordination.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, research-driven product development environment.
- Candidates with successfully developed UAV platforms, demonstrable projects, and practical flight-testing experience will be strongly preferred.

Why Join Us?





Join Golden Pearl Defense Systems Pvt. Ltd., a DPIIT-recognized defence technology startup, and contribute to the development of next-generation indigenous UAV systems.

Work on challenging engineering programs involving advanced flight technologies, custom UAV platforms, embedded systems, and innovative unmanned solutions.

We are looking for a hands-on UAV developer and technical leader — not just a drone operator, pilot, or project coordinator.

To Apply: Share your updated CV along with details of UAV platforms developed, key technical contributions, and relevant project experience.Role Description This is an on-site internship role for a Senior UAV Systems Engineer / UAV R&D; Lead, based in Mhow. The intern will support the design, development, and testing of UAV systems used for media and data-gathering applications. Day-to-day tasks include assisting with systems engineering activities, creating and refining system architectures, and integrating hardware and software components into UAV platforms.

The role involves troubleshooting UAV system issues, performing diagnostics, and coordinating with technical support and operations teams to ensure reliable performance. The intern will also document system designs, test results, and procedures, contribute to continuous improvement of UAV capabilities, and collaborate with cross-functional teams on R&D; initiatives.

Qualifications

- Ability to apply Systems Engineering and Systems Design principles to UAV platforms and related infrastructures.
- Strong Troubleshooting skills for diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, and integration issues in UAV systems.
- Experience or coursework in System Administration and Technical Support for complex technical environments.
- Background in aerospace, electronics, robotics, or related engineering disciplines; pursuing or holding a relevant degree is preferred.
- Familiarity with UAV hardware, flight controllers, sensors, and communication systems is an advantage.
- Basic knowledge of programming or scripting (e.g., Python, C/C++, MATLAB) for automation, data analysis, or control algorithms is beneficial.
- Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a structured R&D; setting.
- Willingness to work in office in Mhow and participate in field testing, lab work, and iterative development cycles.

📌 Senior UAV Systems Engineer / UAV R&D Lead (Dr. Ambedkar Nagar)
🏢 Golden Pearl Defense Systems
📍 Dr. Ambedkar Nagar