UAS Payload and Sensor Engineer

What You’ll Do: Own integration of sensors, payloads, and onboard compute onto UAS platforms Define mechanical, electrical, power, communications, and data interfaces Integrate payloads with aircraft avionics, autonomy, and C2 systems Develop payload power and data architectures for CAS-enabled operations Lead bench testing, ground testing, and flight-test integration Troubleshoot hardware, firmware, communications, and integration issues Translate customer mission requirements into payload and aircraft requirements Evaluate commercial sensors and payloads for agriculture, infrastructure, security, logistics, and environmental sensing Develop repeatable integration standards that can scale across aircraft and payloads Coordinate with OEMs, sensor vendors, engineering partners, and field operators What We’re Looking For 5+ years of experience in UAS integration, avionics, robotics, embedded systems, payload engineering, or related work Hands-on experience integrating sensors or payloads onto aircraft or robotic platforms Strong understanding of electrical power, communications, data acquisition, and system interfaces Experience with flight testing or fielding integrated robotic systems Ability to diagnose problems across mechanical, electrical, and software boundaries Systems-engineering mindset and comfort working directly with customers and operators Ability to operate effectively in an early-stage environment with significant ownership Particularly Relevant ExperienceUAS payload or avionics integration Hyperspectral, multispectral, thermal, LiDAR, meteorological, air-quality, or other scientific sensors MAVLink, CAN, serial, Ethernet, ROS, or similar interfaces Embedded computing and edge-processing systems Payload power management and electrical integration Environmental or atmospheric sensing NOAA, NASA, DoD, university, or commercial scientific-UAS programs Aircraft certification, safety, or flight-test processes CAS has the potential to change what electric aircraft can carry, how long they can operate, and how frequently they can perform missions. This role will directly shape how AirVani integrates sensors and mission systems across customer applications while helping establish the technical standards that enable CAS to scale across aircraft, payloads, and markets.