UAS Systems Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: Fareham, SouthEast PO16, United Kingdom; full-time, permanent role.

Company

hirify.global develops autonomous systems across air, land, and sea, with advanced engineering and R&D in New Zealand and manufacturing scale-up in the UK.

What you will do

• Develop and refine mechanical architectures, airframes, structures, mechanisms, payloads, and propulsion integration for large uncrewed aircraft weighing 200 kg and above.
• Perform and supervise mechanical assembly, strip-downs, inspections, maintenance, and fault diagnosis.
• Set up test rigs, instrumentation, sensors, and data acquisition systems for structural performance validation.
• Analyse structural test results and flight telemetry to assess performance, fatigue, and reliability.
• Investigate manufacturing faults, resolve design issues, and recommend corrective actions.
• Support compliance with UK CAA and MAA requirements, including the CAA Specific Category S2 framework and DAOS, while collaborating with engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and technical teams.

Requirements

• Degree, HND, or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience designing, integrating, and testing mechanical systems for aerospace, automotive, or other complex platforms.
• Hands-on experience with mechanical assembly, maintenance, inspections, and fault diagnosis.
• Experience with load cells, strain gauges, vibration sensors, thermocouples, and data acquisition systems.
• Ability to analyse engineering or flight-test data using MATLAB, Python, or equivalent software.
• Awareness of UK MAA regulations, DAOS requirements, CAA Specific Category operations, and safety management frameworks.
• Strong troubleshooting, technical documentation, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Applicants must be eligible for UK Security Check (SC) clearance as a minimum; nationality or previous nationality may affect eligibility for employment.

Nice to have

• Experience with composite materials, manufacturing processes, and structural repairs.
• Knowledge of heavy UAS propulsion systems, including internal combustion engines, turbines, or hybrid-electric architectures.
• Familiarity with engine diagnostics, propeller-engine matching, dynamometer testing, or powerplant test cells.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, low-ego environment focused on solving real-world engineering challenges.
• Work across international engineering and manufacturing teams and projects.
• Culture of ownership, adaptability, knowledge sharing, and practical delivery.
• Many roles are subject to national security vetting, and existing appropriate security clearance may be transferable upon appointment.