Lead Engineer - Drone Design and Build in England

If you enjoy owning real hardware systems — and shaping how they scale — this role is built for you. This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of an advanced autonomous drone platform that is already operating on live critical infrastructure missions, and to lead how it evolves from proven prototypes into repeatable, low-volume production.

As Lead Engineer – Drone Systems Design & Build, you’ll be responsible for the technical direction, architecture, and build approach of the drone platform, ensuring designs move efficiently from concept through build, test, and deployment. While the role is not focused on personally building everything, it remains close to the hardware and its real-world performance, with hands-on involvement where it adds value — particularly during early builds, complex integration work, or critical phases in a small, fast-moving engineering environment. The scope of the role is deliberately broad and senior. You’ll set standards, make key technical decisions, and shape how both the platform and the engineering approach mature as the company grows. For the right person, there is meaningful runway to grow into a very senior technical leadership position over time.

What you’ll be doing

• Owning the mechanical and electrical architecture of the drone platform, from advanced prototypes through to manufacturable systems for a growing internal fleet.
• Leading the transition from prototype builds to repeatable, low-volume production, defining build strategies, assembly approaches, and design-for-manufacture principles.
• Guiding and reviewing the design and integration of sensors, electronics, structures, wiring, and networking, ensuring system-level coherence and reliability.
• Remaining close to the hardware, and stepping in hands-on during critical phases, early builds, or complex integration work — while ensuring the platform and processes scale beyond any one individual.
• Translating feedback from live operations into clear technical priorities and design improvements that increase reliability and performance.
• Establishing and improving engineering processes, tooling, and standards that support rapid iteration without unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Defining and overseeing hardware testing programmes, including vibration, thermal, and EMC testing, and using data to inform design and production decisions.
• Owning the technical roadmap for the platform and the engineering toolchain, including CAD systems, ECAD–MCAD workflows, and lab infrastructure.
• Working closely with suppliers and manufacturing partners to ensure components, assemblies, and processes support scalability and reliability.
• Providing technical leadership and mentorship to the hardware team, enabling others to build, test, and deliver effectively.

What you’ll bring

• Expert-level proficiency in at least one MCAD package (e.g. NX/SolidEdge, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Inventor, or similar).
• Strong mechanical engineering background with a solid understanding of design for manufacture and assembly, particularly in low-volume production contexts.
• Experience leading or owning end-to-end hardware systems, balancing architectural decisions with practical delivery constraints.
• Comfort working across mechanical, electrical, electronics, and software boundaries, even if your depth sits primarily in one domain.
• Experience defining, improving, or scaling engineering processes as systems move from prototype into operation.
• Ability to plan and oversee structured hardware testing programmes and interpret results to guide design and production decisions.
• Python (or similar) capability for data analysis and system evaluation.
• Sound judgement in fast-moving environments where processes are evolving and trade-offs must be made thoughtfully.

Nice to have (but not required):

• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, or complex electromechanical products.
• Experience supporting the transition from R&D into production or operational deployment.

How you’ll work

This role suits someone who:

• Enjoys setting technical direction and enabling others to execute, while staying hands-on when it genuinely adds value.
• Thinks in systems and understands how design decisions affect build, test, reliability, and operations.
• Is comfortable operating in a small team where responsibility is shared and priorities evolve quickly.
• Balances engineering rigour with pragmatism, knowing when process helps — and when it slows things down.
• Wants ownership, responsibility, and the opportunity to shape not just a product, but how it is built and delivered.

About sees.ai

sees.ai is building the operating system for autonomous drone operations, enabling advanced drones to be controlled remotely and deployed at scale. The team operates one of the world’s most advanced BVLOS drone systems, supporting live inspections of critical national infrastructure. You’ll join at a pivotal moment — leading the technical evolution of a proven platform as it scales into production — with the satisfaction of seeing systems you’ve shaped fly real missions in the field.