Head of UAV Systems

Location: Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain

Department: R&D & Engineering

Workplace: hybrid

Employment Type: full

Description

About the role

Imagine being technical backbone behind Destinus’ unmanned aerial vehicles, owning the system end to end and setting the technical direction that turns bold concepts into flight-ready reality. The Head of UAV Systems is the technical authority and system owner for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles. This role leads the end-to-end technical execution of UAV development programs, from early concept and requirements definition through detailed design, prototype manufacturing, system integration, testing, and flight qualification. This position requires strong hands-on technical background, proven leadership in complex aerospace programs, and a clear focus on results, quality, and delivery timelines.

At Destinus, we are revolutionizing the defense industry with cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Our innovative technologies are designed to meet the unique demands of modern defense operations, delivering unparalleled speed, precision, and cost effectiveness. Destinus partners with government agencies and defense organizations worldwide to provide advanced solutions for mission-critical operations, enabling a new era of efficiency and technological superiority. Join us in shaping the future of defense with groundbreaking aerospace innovations.

What You´ll Do

Technical Leadership & System Ownership

• Act as the technical authority and system architect for UAV development programs.
• Own system-level technical decisions, trade-offs, and design rationale.
• Ensure coherence across all UAV subsystems and maintain system architecture and interfaces.

Requirements & Vehicle Design

• Lead system and subsystem requirements definition and management.
• Translate mission, customer, and regulatory needs into verifiable technical requirements.
• Guide aerodynamic design and flight performance, mechanical design and structural sizing, and materials selection and manufacturing concepts.
• Drive system-level optimization for performance, weight, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.

Hands-on Engineering, Prototyping & Manufacturing

• Stay directly involved in prototype manufacturing and assembly.
• Apply strong Design for Manufacturing and Assembly principles.
• Lead prototype builds for metallic and composite structures.
• Ensure designs reflect manufacturability, tolerances, and production feedback

Integration, Testing & Flight Campaigns

• Support system integration across all UAV subsystems.
• Define and oversee ground and flight test plans.
• Actively support and participate in flight test campaigns, ensuring safe execution and rapid technical feedback loops.
• Lead anomaly investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.

Project Execution & Delivery

• Ensure technical execution meets quality standards and delivery milestones.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks early.
• Maintain strong focus on results, deadlines, and engineering excellence.
• Support program planning with realistic schedules and technical estimates.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Establish engineering standards and best practices.
• Collaborate closely with program management, manufacturing, operations, and partners.

Requirements

What You’ll Need

• Minimum 10 years of experience in technical leadership roles within UAV or aerospace development programs.
• Proven track record as technical lead, system engineer, chief engineer or vehicle architect on complex UAV projects.
• Demonstrable hands-on experience across the full UAV development lifecycle: design → build → test → fly.
• Deep technical expertise in:
• System requirements definition and management
• UAV and aircraft design
• Aerodynamics and flight mechanics
• Mechanical design and structural analysis
• System architecture definition
• Integration of avionics, propulsion, payloads, and control systems
• Ground and flight testing
• Strong understanding of manufacturing-driven design and prototype iteration.
• Experience working in high-technology, fast-paced, results-oriented environments.

Who You Are

You bring hands-on experience navigating airworthiness, certification, and regulatory frameworks, and you understand what it takes to move UAV systems from concept to compliant, flight-ready platforms. You have worked with fixed-wing, VTOL, or hybrid UAV configurations and know the technical and operational trade-offs that come with each architecture.

Benefits

Why Join Us?

✨ The Thrill of the Future – Work on cutting-edge projects that redefine aerospace.
✨ Global Innovation Hub – Collaborate with top engineers from all over the world.
✨ Fast-Paced & High-Growth – Experience the rush of working in a rapidly expanding company.
✨ Real Impact – Your work won’t be theoretical—it will shape the future of flight.

Destinus is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity in our companies and our teams and do not discriminate based on age, race, religion, color, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability status.

🚀 Destinus – Challenge the limits of time, space, and human potential.