Payload Integration Engineer Jobs in Fairfield, CT

ABOUT THE ROLE

Quantum Cyber designs and manufactures unmanned aircraft and autonomous systems for defense and commercial customers. We are expanding our Bridgeport, Connecticut engineering and production operation and are hiring Drone Engineers to take airframes from concept through flight test and into production.

This is a hands-on role. You will spend time at the bench, in the shop, and at the flight line - not only at a desk. If you like owning a system end to end and seeing your work fly within weeks rather than years, this is that job.

COMPENSATION

$90,000-$150,000 annually, depending on experience.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Design, build, and iterate on multirotor and fixed-wing UAS platforms, from airframe layout through integration.

• Select, size, and integrate propulsion, power, avionics, and payload subsystems; own the trade studies behind those choices.

• Configure, tune, and troubleshoot flight controllers and autopilot stacks (PX4, ArduPilot, or equivalent).

• Integrate sensors and payloads - EO/IR, LiDAR, RF, GNSS/INS - including wiring, mounting, and data interfaces.

• Plan and execute bench tests, ground tests, and flight tests; instrument the aircraft, capture telemetry, and analyze logs to close out issues.

• Write and maintain engineering documentation: requirements, ICDs, test plans, test reports, assembly and inspection procedures.

• Work directly with manufacturing on design for producibility, build kits, and first-article inspection.

• Support field demonstrations and customer evaluations, including occasional travel to our Arizona flight test facility.

• Contribute to technical proposals, design reviews, and program milestones.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Robotics, or Computer Engineering - or equivalent demonstrated experience.

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience designing, integrating, or testing unmanned aircraft or comparable robotic systems.

• Working knowledge of at least one open-source or commercial autopilot ecosystem (PX4, ArduPilot, or similar), including parameter tuning and log analysis.

• Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or CATIA) for airframe and mechanical integration work.

• Practical electronics skills: reading schematics, soldering, harness fabrication, and powering and bringing up a new board without breaking it.

• Programming ability in Python and/or C++ for scripting, test automation, or embedded work.

• Demonstrated flight-test experience - you have personally flown, tuned, and debugged aircraft you helped build.

• Ability to work on-site in Bridgeport, Connecticut full-time.

• Must be a U.S. person as defined under ITAR (22 CFR 120.62) and able to pass a background check; U.S. Government clearance eligibility preferred.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

• Experience with defense or government programs, including familiarity with MIL-STD environmental and EMI requirements.

• Composite layup, 3D printing, or CNC fabrication experience.

• Background in RF systems, mesh networking, C2 links, or GPS-denied navigation.

• Experience with ROS/ROS 2, computer vision, or onboard autonomy and edge compute.

• Familiarity with Blue UAS, NDAA Section 848 compliance, or DoD supply-chain requirements.

• Prior work in a low-volume, high-mix manufacturing environment.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Full-time salaried position with medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Paid time off and holidays.

• Retirement plan.

• Direct involvement in programs from concept to fielded system, with real ownership and short decision cycles.

• Access to in-house manufacturing and a dedicated flight-test facility.

HOW TO APPLY

Send your resume and a short description of a UAS or robotics project you personally built and flew to careers@cyberdronecorp.com. Portfolios, flight logs, videos, and GitHub links are welcome and encouraged.

Quantum Cyber is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.