LiveLink Aerospace is seeking a skilled and passionate Senior UAV Design Engineer with 4 to 5 years of dedicated experience in the unmanned aerial vehicle field. In this role, you will own the lifecycle of our UAV systems - from initial concept and prototyping through to integration, validation, and low-volume production. You will blend cutting-edge mechanical design with hands-on hardware integration, working in a fast-paced environment to build, test, and refine the next generation of aerospace technology.

Requirements

: Security Clearance: Due to the nature of our projects and the sensitive data we handle, candidates must be able to obtain and maintain UK Security Clearance (SC) . This typically requires having lived in the UK for the last 5 years and holding a valid passport. Mechanical & Structural Design: Design high-performance UAV airframes, payload structures, and mechanical assemblies using Fusion 360.

Develop detailed CAD models and production-ready technical drawings. Component Specification: Select and specify optimal UAV components, including propulsion systems, motors, ESCs, batteries, telemetry modules, sensors, and flight controllers. Rapid Prototyping: Design and rapidly iterate prototypes utilising 3D printing, sheet metal, laser CNC, and other advanced manufacturing methods to optimise performance and manufacturability.

Manufacturing & Documentation: Produce comprehensive assembly drawings, Bills of Materials (BOMs), and detailed build instructions to ensure seamless knowledge transfer and traceability for production teams. Systems Integration & Testing: Perform hands-on integration, wiring, and soldering of electronics. Configure, tune, and troubleshoot flight stacks running Betaflight and ArduCopter firmware.

Field Operations & Validation: Conduct field testing and flight validation. Debug UAV performance issues under real-world conditions, identifying root causes to drive iterative design improvements.

, and collaborate with production teams to transition prototypes into scalable, low-volume manufacturing workflows. Vendor Management: Coordinate with external suppliers and manufacturers for prototype fabrication and low-volume production runs. Technical Design & Manufacturing: Advanced proficiency in parametric CAD (Fusion 360) and technical drawing creation.

Deep understanding of UAV architecture, system integration, and weight/balance optimization. Hands-on experience with additive manufacturing (3D printing), sheet metal design/fabrication, laser cutting, and CNC bending machinery. Strong practical skills in electronics assembly, routing, and precision soldering.

Flight Systems & Testing: Proven experience configuring and tuning ArduCopter and Betaflight flight stacks. Excellent field troubleshooting, debugging, and data-logging analysis skills. GVC (General Visual Line of Sight Certificate) certification for operating multirotor and fixed-wing UAV platforms is highly desirable.

Professional Attributes: A proactive problem-solver who thrives in rapid development cycles. Strong collaborative communication skills for working alongside multidisciplinary engineering teams. Excellent organisational skills for managing BOMs, suppliers, and technical documentation.