System Engineer

About Aergility

Aergility is a small aerospace startup maturing from R&D to manufacturing. We develop heavy-lift and surveillance VTOL drones for demanding domestic and international markets, including defense and contested logistics missions. We move fast, hold high standards, and expect every team member to own their work from concept through delivery.

Position Summary

We are looking for a mid-career Systems Engineer to serve as a technical integrator and program contributor across our unmanned aircraft product lines. You will work at the intersection of vehicle design, mission systems, and hardware integration—helping translate requirements into hardware, tracking technical progress, and supporting the engineering team as we scale toward production. This role requires both hands-on systems engineering depth and the organizational discipline to manage schedules, risks, and stakeholder communication.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Engineering

• Develop and own the Verification & Validation (V&V) plan; define test methods, success criteria, and traceability from requirements to test results for each program phase, across vehicle and payload subsystems
• Create, mature, and maintain process and product documentation and configuration management as the architecture evolves from prototype to production
• Lead integration planning and support software- and hardware-in-the-loop testing, ground testing, and envelope expansion flight testing; author test plans, procedures, and anomaly reports
• Perform trade studies to inform design decisions across propulsion, avionics and autonomy, structures, and mission payloads; document trade rationale and present recommendations to technical leadership
• Lead or contribute to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) efforts; develop and maintain system architecture models that serve as the authoritative source for interface definitions and behavior descriptions
• Maintain a program-level technical risk register; facilitate risk review boards and drive mitigation actions to closure
• Conduct and document failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA) and hazard analyses in support of system safety per MIL-STD-882 or equivalent

Program & Project Support

• Present at formal program reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR), monthly program reviews, and customer briefings
• Coordinate with suppliers, subcontractors, and manufacturing partners on technical requirements and deliverables
• Support proposal efforts including SOWs, technical volumes, and cost structures for new domestic and international business opportunities
• Lead progress reporting for government-funded programs (SBIR, DoD contracts)

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with mechanical, electrical, software, and aerospace engineers in a small-team environment where role boundaries are intentionally fluid
• Support future manufacturing engineering staff to transition designs from development and MVP to pre-production and LRIP
• Interface with FAA, DoD program offices, and international partners as required

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field
• 7 - 15 years of experience in systems engineering, with at least 5 years supporting hardware development programs
• Proven ability to lead system integration efforts across multidisciplinary teams, including mechanical, electrical, software, and avionics
• Experience managing project schedules, technical risk, and stakeholder communication on programs of moderate-to-significant scope
• Comfortable authoring and presenting at formal program reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and interfacing with government customers or prime contractors
• Direct experience with UAV development and qualification testing, including ground test campaigns, envelope expansion, and flight test execution
• Familiarity with UAV test planning documentation: test plans, test procedures, success criteria, and anomaly reporting
• U.S. citizenship

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with rotary-wing or VTOL UAS platforms, particularly ISR, heavy-lift or multi-rotor configurations
• Background in avionics integration, autonomy hardware and software, or mission payload systems
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-882, DO-178, DO-254, or relevant qualification standards (MIL-HDBK-516, SAE ARP 4754, STANAG 4671)
• Exposure to government contracting environments (SBIR, BAA, OTA, etc)
• Experience using OnShape, SolidWorks, or similar CAD/MBSE tools
• Military service, particularly in aviation, UAS operations, or systems acquisition roles; veterans bring mission discipline, team leadership experience, and operational context that directly strengthens how we develop and field our systems.

Work Location & Schedule

This position is based at Aergility’s Dunnellon, FL facility. A minimum of four days per week on-site is required; one day per week may be worked remotely at the discretion of the employee and with manager approval. The flexibility of one remote day is offered as a practical accommodation, not as a baseline expectation.

Compensation & Benefits

Aergility offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, including equity participation. Specific details will be discussed during the interview process. We are a small, mission-driven team—your contributions will be visible and consequential.

Aergility is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.