Drone Payload Integration Engineer

Drone Mid-level (L4 equivalent) 2-5 years

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Anduril

Skydio

Shield AI

Zipline

DJI

AeroVironment

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The job description

Tech stack. Gimbals and stabilized mounts, EO/IR cameras, LiDAR, mechanical CAD (SolidWorks), electrical interfacing, vibration isolation design, MAVLink camera protocols, georeferencing

About the role

You will work at a drone technology company where the payload is the reason the aircraft exists: cameras, LiDAR, and sensors that turn a flying platform into a working tool. You own the mechanical, electrical, and software integration of payloads onto airframes, from mount design through in-flight image quality. Your success is measured in crisp imagery, stable pointing, and payloads that simply work on every flight, in every environment the customer operates. You will also maintain a payload compatibility matrix across airframes, so sales and customers always know which sensor flies on which aircraft, what integration effort it requires, and what performance to expect.

What you will achieve

Design and validate payload mounting systems that achieve target pointing stability and vibration isolation across the aircraft's full operating envelope.
Shorten payload integration cycles by building reusable mechanical and electrical interfaces that let new sensors bolt on with minimal redesign and rework.
Improve delivered image and data quality by characterizing and eliminating vibration, thermal drift, and EMI effects on payload performance.
Integrate payload control and data streams with the autopilot and ground station, including gimbal commands, camera triggering, and precise geotagging.
Support flight test campaigns that prove payload performance claims, producing data packages that sales and customers can trust.

What you will bring

Must-haves

2-5 years of experience integrating electro-optical, infrared, or LiDAR payloads onto UAVs or mobile robotic platforms.
Mechanical design skills in SolidWorks or equivalent, including tolerance analysis and design for high-vibration environments.
Understanding of gimbal stabilization principles and hands-on experience tuning stabilized mounts for real-world conditions.
Electrical integration experience: power budgeting for payloads, signal interfaces such as HDMI, Ethernet, USB, and serial, plus connector selection.
Familiarity with camera protocols and georeferencing workflows used in mapping and inspection applications.
Practical vibration analysis skills: accelerometers, damping materials, and isolation mount design validated by measurement.
Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or aerospace engineering.

Nice-to-haves

Experience with radiometric calibration or multispectral and hyperspectral sensors.
Background in photogrammetry or LiDAR point-cloud processing pipelines.
Knowledge of NDAA-compliant component sourcing for payloads in regulated markets.
Familiarity with laser rangefinder integration and targeting workflows.