UAV Concept Engineer
Technology, Data & Digital · Software & Web Development · Software Engineering
In short
Saab UK is looking for a UAV Concept Engineer to join their Blue Bear team in Bedfordshire. This role involves conceptualizing, sizing, and analyzing new air vehicle platforms, iterating designs based on requirements, and integrating test data to improve models. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in aircraft conceptual design, sizing, and utilizing tools like OpenVSP or Python for automation.
Responsibilities
- Perform aircraft conceptual sizing and constraint analysis.
- Develop and morph parametric air vehicle geometry and Outer Mould Line.
- Produce core conceptual outputs like drag polars, lift curves, weight breakdowns, mission energy/endurance, static margin, trim, and control authority.
- Run trade studies and design-space exploration.
- Synthesize flight-test and bench-test data to validate and improve conceptual models and sizing methods.
- Select and shape propulsion system concepts and integrate them into analysis.
- Maintain, improve, and build the concept-design toolchain and automation.
- Capture and communicate design risk.
Requirements
- Hands-on experience in aircraft sizing, concept-design tooling, and synthesis of flight-test data to improve models.
- Demonstrable experience in aircraft / UAV conceptual design and sizing, constraint analysis, weight and mission/energy sizing, and closing a design point.
- Hands-on experience with conceptual and preliminary design tools such as OpenVSP, RCAIDE, AVL, XFLR5, Datcom or equivalent in-house tools.
- Sound applied aerodynamics knowledge, drag build-up, lift curves, drag polars and the ability to generate and interpret them for design decisions.
- Experience synthesizing flight logs / telemetry / test data and using it to validate and improve analytical models.
- Strong scripting and analysis skills in Python (or similar) for automation, data processing and building/using design tools.
- Working understanding of the full conceptual design loop: geometry, aerodynamics, weights, propulsion, mission performance and stability & control, and how the disciplines couple.
- Ability to work iteratively, favouring fast, defensible estimates over slow precision at the conceptual stage, and to communicate assumptions and uncertainty clearly.
- Strong problem-solving skills, sound engineering judgement, and a proactive approach to improving methods and tools.
- Ability to work collaboratively across a small, multidisciplinary engineering team.
Desired Qualifications
- Structural analysis, FEA, airframe structural sizing.
- Stability & control analysis, flight dynamics modelling, and handling-qualities assessment.
- Design-of-experiments for sub systems.
- Propulsion sizing and integration of electric, hybrid-electric or gas turbine systems.
- Experience with PX4 / ArduPilot, SITL/HITL simulation, and processing autopilot flight logs (ULog, MAVLink).
- CAD and geometry handling; exporting/meshing surfaces for higher-fidelity aero (panel/CFD).
- Mid- to high-fidelity aero exposure (panel methods such as FlightStream, or RANS CFD) for validating key design points.
- Experience working in safety-critical, regulated or defence environments.
- Ability to gain SC Clearance.
Benefits
- 30 days annual leave
- Workplace pension scheme with 8% company contribution
- Private medical insurance
- Group income protection scheme
- Death in service insurance
- Up to 5% share matching scheme
- Company enhanced Maternity/Adoption & Paternity leave.
#UAV#Concept Engineer#Autonomy#Unmanned Systems#Air Vehicles#Autopilots#Navigation#Mission Systems#Ground Control Stations#Aerodynamics#Propulsion#Flight Testing#Telemetry#Python#Toolchain Automation#Design Risk
Company
Saab
Job Posted
2 weeks ago
Expires
in 1 week
Employment Type
Full Time
WorkMode
On Site
Experience Level
Mid-Senior
Locations
Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Applicants
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