Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Engineer with Security Clearance

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers' most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets. Nightwing ensures our customers succeed when addressing the world's biggest threats. Nightwing is looking for a Senior UAV Engineer to provide subject matter expertise and engineering support to a US Government program in the McLean, VA area. This person will join a multidisciplinary team composed of chemists, material scientists, mechanical/electrical engineers, aerospace, and cyber engineers. The work environment is a very collegial atmosphere with ever-changing technical challenges that elicits excitement and challenge with each new day. The Senior UAV Engineer will serve as a member of a team responsible for monitoring and facilitating technical development and production projects being performed for a Government customer. Job duties include ensuring that system requirements and specifications are consistent with operational deployment environments, recommending innovative solutions for technical and operational problems, monitoring and documenting component and system tests, ensuring compliance with Government program management practices, supporting program control gates and engineering review boards, and authoring and reviewing project documentation. The Senior Engineer will serve as a technical subject matter expert for a variety of UAV platform-based projects. Experience and support in the following areas is a necessity:
UAV system design and Integration and Test (I&T)
Electronics component design and I&T
Guidance navigation and control, communication systems
Hardware level firmware/software design and reverse-engineering
Knowledge with composite structures including resin /adhesive chemicals
Industry trends and standards in airframe fabrication, manufacturing, and assembly Roles and responsibilities center around quickly responding to client knowledge gaps by educating oneself followed by training/briefing the government task managers, as well as internal customer departments, on the relevant technologies. The ultimate goal in the aerospace area is to help external contractors identify technical approaches and develop, test, and build capabilities to counter technical advances being made by foreign entities. Duties will include, but are not limited to:
Provide technical expertise on electronic equipment and components
Communicate complex technical topics effectively to an audience with a broad set of backgrounds
Evaluate trends in UAV industry and supporting materials industry to propose strategic technology developments
Provide customer training and technology transfer
Review and evaluate relevant information and intelligence provided by client to identify technical vulnerabilities in UAV platforms, specifically focused on sub-systems, material composition or microelectronic components
Collaborate with internal customers on defining research requirements and strategic mission objectives
Identify/Eliminate system vulnerabilities
Review external contractor/vendor technical proposals, experimental results, deliverables, and final reports
Support customer test activities
Review contractor test bed facility documentation and experimental test plans
Prepare, and often deliver, briefing materials to mid-level and senior client management
Perform troubleshooting
Review technical specifications
Conduct tests, perform quality assurance inspections, and assess test data
Support Customer Review Board
Anomaly resolution
CONUS travel to government contractor facilities (one week per month)
OCONUS travel (average 1-2x per year)
Support installation and deployment opportunities Required Skills: Minimum 5 years of related experience and Bachelor's degree (preferably Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Physics)
5+ years of experience in electrical component design and/or system operations; hands-on field experience is highly desired.
Knowledge of system test and validation processes
Ability to reverse engineer
Experience with root cause analysis and troubleshooting
Experience with vulnerability assessment and risk management
Excellent communication skills
Team-oriented
Willingness to become acquainted with new technology
Configuration management experience Desired Skills: Experience with project portfolio management to help balance strategic and quick reaction capabilities within budget constraints and windows of opportunity
Ability to work under tight deadlines
Understanding the global procurement supply chain of electrical components, equipment, and instrumentation
Ability to predict system-level performance implications of minor technical modifications
Flexibility to adjust technical direction as intelligence picture changes, or becomes more defined
Help define initial scope and assess technical feasibility of proposed development efforts Must have TS/SCI security clearance with Poly on day one and be eligible for crossover. This requisition is eligible for an employee referral award. ALL eligibility requirements must be met to receive the referral award. About Nightwing: Previously part of a leading Fortune 100 company and headquartered in Dulles, VA; Nightwing became independent in 2024 but continues to support the nation's most mission impactful initiatives. When we formed Nightwing, we brought a deep set of credentials and an unfaltering commitment to the mission. For over four decades, our team has been providing some of the world's most technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence support services to the U.S. government on its most important missions. At Nightwing, we value collaboration and teamwork. You'll have the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals who are passionate about what they do. Together, we'll leverage our collective expertise to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Thank you for considering joining us as we embark on this new journey and shape the future of cybersecurity and intelligence together as part of the Nightwing team. At Nightwing, we value collaboration and teamwork. You'll have the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals who are passionate about what they do. Together, we'll leverage our collective expertise to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Thank you for considering joining us as we embark on this new journey and shape the future of cybersecurity and intelligence together as part of the Nightwing team. Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.