Payload Integration Lead

Payload Integration Lead

Skydweller

Madrid, Spain

Job Description

• Responsible for the selection and integration of payloads/sensors onboard the Skydweller Unmanned Air System (UAS);
• Define all system-level and subsystem-level requirements for payloads and sensors (e.g. EOIR, Radar, SIGINT, comms-relay, etc.);
• Work with vendors around the world to perform trade studies on payload candidates according to mission-level and system-level requirements and performance objectives;
• Responsible for establishing the Skydweller payload-bay ICD to enable plug-and-play of future payloads/sensors. Includes defining all aspects of the payload bay(s) including thermal/environmental, electrical, mechanical, data/networking, EMI/EMC, apertures);
• Manage hardware and software engineers to integrate payloads/sensors onto the aircraft;
• Work with Ground Segment team to integrate and/or develop software to be installed in the ground segment to control payloads, downlink data, and perform processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED);
• Work with network and communications team to design the air-to-ground network topology, router configurations, network management software, and air-to-ground data parameters and format to enable effective operations of the payloads;
• Work with ground segment and communications leads to develop a hardware-in-the-loop simulation environment to test the end-to-end system from operator command to payload action and downlink and dissemination of data;
• Develop a verification, and validation approach and test suite.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) in Engineering or Computer Science;
• Experience integrating payloads/sensors onboard aircraft;
• Strong understanding of payload integration requirements (e.g. electrical, mechanical, environmental, EMI/EMC, thermal, etc.);
• Understanding of flight safety requirements for payload integration;
• Demonstrated history across all aspects of the systems engineering process: requirements development, design, development, integration, test, verification, and validation;
• Knowledge of aircraft command and control functions;
• Experience with payload management software and PED tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience integrating payloads/sensors onboard unmanned aircraft;
• Experience developing ground control system software for unmanned aircraft;
• Experience with safety-critical software development;
• Strong coding skills;
• Experience with line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight (SATCOM) datalinks;
• Strong understanding of IP network architectures;
• Experience with DO-178C;
• Experience with STANAG 4586;
• Experience supporting UAV flight tests;
• Experience working in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) or system integration labs (SIL);
• Experience with real-time operating systems;
• Working knowledge of RF communication links and interfaces;
• Experience building command centers.