Full-Time
UAV Aerospace Systems Engineer
Updated on 9/12/2026
Swift Engineering
51-200 employees
Designs unmanned systems and aerospace vehicles
Compensation Overview
$150k - $170k/yr
San Clemente, CA, USA
In Person
Up to 20% travel is anticipated for testing, integration, and coordination activities.
Bachelor's, Master's, PhD
 Aerospace Engineering |
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- A bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field is required.
- At least 10 years of experience with autonomous systems and control is required.
- Strong understanding of autonomous systems and control is required.
- Experience with autopilot architectures is required.
- Familiarity with Ground Control Stations is required.
- Understanding of radio systems and radio-frequency operations is required.
- Experience with unmanned aerial vehicle system integration and flight operations is required.
- Experience with MATLAB/Simulink and SolidWorks is required.
- Ability to work effectively across multiple teams and disciplines is required.
- Lead the architectural and system-level design of a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle platform.
- Define and integrate autonomous flight systems, including autopilot, navigation, and mission logic.
- Oversee aircraft performance, configuration, and trade studies covering aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and power.
- Collaborate with avionics, software, radio-frequency, operations, manufacturing, and test teams.
- Provide technical leadership to a small engineering team.
- Support flight test planning, execution, and post-flight analysis.
- Interface with internal stakeholders and external partners as needed.
- Contribute to system documentation, requirements definition, and design reviews.
- Support field operations and customer engagements, including required travel.
- A master's degree or Ph.D. in Engineering or Physics is preferred.
- Experience with High-Altitude Platform Systems or long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles is preferred.
- Background in aircraft conceptual or preliminary design is preferred.
- Experience leading or mentoring engineering teams is preferred.
- Familiarity with regulatory, safety, and operational constraints for unmanned aerial vehicles is preferred.
Swift Engineering designs and builds high-performance vehicles with 30+ years of experience, specializing in unmanned systems, autonomy, robotics, and advanced composites. It conducts in-house product development and manufacturing, has produced more than 500 vehicles in a 60,000-square-foot facility, and has expanded into aerospace for both manned and unmanned programs. Its Swift020 Unmanned Air System is a winged drone that can take off and land like a quad-rotor and transition to efficient fixed-wing flight without extra launch or recovery equipment, serving markets such as oil and gas, maritime, emergency services, delivery, agriculture, research, surveillance, and defense, and features X-Blade Technology. The company aims to provide end-to-end development and production of high-performance unmanned and manned vehicles across multiple industries, reducing operation time and cost for customers.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
San Clemente, California
Founded
1983
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Swift won NASA SBIR Phase II on July 15, 2025, extending runway.
- November 12, 2025 ATLA exhibitor status opens Japanese defense and procurement conversations.
- May 21, 2025 hiring of Fernando Sarmiento expands composites manufacturing capacity.
What critics are saying
- Revenue depends on NASA and defense awards; one missed renewal starves development.
- SULE must prove 30-day flight in 2026 or lose credibility.
- Without government-funded wins, Swift lacks scale against larger defense contractors.
What makes Swift Engineering unique
- Swift Engineering combines design, manufacturing, and product development under one roof.
- NASA Phase II funding backs its SULE high-altitude endurance drone platform.
- ATLA Industry Day 2025 selection signals defense access in Tokyo.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
Life Insurance
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Family Planning Benefits
Fertility Treatment Support
Company News
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. - May 21, 2025 - Swift Engineering, a leading innovator in advanced solutions for unmanned aviation as well as a range of other critical applications, has appointed Fernando Sarmiento to the position of Manufacturing Engineer.