UAS Integration & Acceptance Engineer

UAS Integration & Acceptance Engineer

We're looking for a hands-on engineer to take ownership of incoming drones from OEM partners — confirm they're fit to fly, resolve or escalate issues, and hand them over to pilots in a ready and reliable state.

This role sits between OEM supply, engineering, testing and pilot operations. You'll be the person who makes sure aircraft arriving into Occam aren't just present, but actually usable. When it's done well, pilots don't lose time on issues that should have been caught earlier, engineering gets clear feedback on recurring defects, and OEM quality improves.

This is a hands-on engineering role in a fast-moving defence-tech environment. It takes strong technical judgement, attention to detail, practical problem-solving and the confidence to say when something isn't ready.

What you'll own

Incoming drone acceptance

Run structured acceptance checks on UAS platforms arriving from OEMs

Inspect airframes, wiring, connectors, batteries, payload interfaces and control systems for defects, missing parts or poor build quality

Confirm each aircraft matches the required build standard, configuration and documentation

Record acceptance status clearly before it moves to the next stage

Integration and configuration

Prepare drones for use with Occam's systems, software and procedures

Carry out configuration, calibration and setup before test or handover

Apply approved software, firmware and configuration updates with engineering

Keep every change recorded and traceable

Flight readiness and functional testing

Run pre-flight functional checks to confirm the aircraft can fly safely and reliably

Support ground testing, systems checks and controlled test activities

Work with pilots and test teams to confirm readiness before handover

Maintain a clear pass / fail / hold status for each drone

Defect management and OEM feedback

Log quality issues found during inspection, integration, testing or handover

Capture defects clearly — photos, notes, serial numbers, evidence

Keep the OEM quality tracker updated so recurring problems get spotted and escalated

Work with engineering and supplier teams on root causes, and track fixes to closure

Handover to pilots

Hand drones over in a clear, consistent, ready-to-use state

Confirm the pilot has the correct aircraft, equipment, documentation and known-status info

Brief pilots on relevant configuration notes, limitations or recent fixes

Record every handover — who took the aircraft and when

Process and workspace discipline

Keep accurate records of status, defects, fixes, test outcomes and handovers

Keep the Kanban / tracking board current and drones stored by status

Maintain labelling, tagging and inventory control

Help improve the acceptance process as volumes grow

Required experience

Hands-on experience with drones, UAVs, UAS platforms, robotics, electronics or aviation systems

Strong practical skills: inspection, troubleshooting, configuration and repair

Experience with structured checks, acceptance testing or quality control

Good grasp of flight readiness, equipment safety and technical handover

Ability to diagnose issues across hardware, software, configuration and build quality

Strong attention to detail and accurate record-keeping

Comfortable working with pilots, engineers, operations teams and suppliers

Able to work in a fast-moving, sensitive, high-pressure environment

Based in and eligible to work in Ukraine; able to travel within Ukraine when required

Desirable experience

Military drones, FPV systems, fixed-wing or autonomous aerial platforms

OEMs, supplier quality processes or incoming-goods inspection

Flight testing, field trials or operational deployments

Airframes, batteries, radio systems, ground control and onboard electronics

Configuration management, serial tracking and defect reporting

Defence, aerospace, robotics or mission-critical hardware

Ukrainian language skills and strong English

Clearance and location

Must be based in and eligible to work in Ukraine, and able to travel within the country

Comfortable in a highly confidential defence-tech environment

Eligible to obtain and maintain relevant security clearance where required (existing defence/government/military clearance is a plus)

Why this role

Most integration roles are about getting equipment through a process. This one is about making sure pilots receive drones that are ready, reliable and trusted. You'll be the final engineering checkpoint between an OEM delivery and a pilot — reducing wasted time, improving supplier quality and protecting the delivery flow so the team can move faster without cutting corners.

If you want a clean-desk role, this probably isn't it. If you want to be hands-on with real equipment, close to the field, and responsible for making sure capability is actually ready to use — this is the role.