Director of Systems Engineering

DR Director of Systems Engineering

DroneUp is a drone delivery service provider and autonomous systems integrator, offering solutions for last-mile delivery, commercial services, and government operations. Founded in 2016, the company partners with major retailers like Walmart and focuses on making drone delivery scalable, affordable, and efficient.
DroneUp
Employee count: 201-500

Salary: $175K – $195K per year
United States only

Stay safe on Himalayas

Never send money to companies. Jobs on Himalayas will never require payment from applicants.

DroneUp , LLC is a technology company built on years of complex airspace management and UAS operations experience with a foundation that uniquely positions us to deliver autonomous airspace management solutions that serve both regulators and operators.

It is a company with a vision to make autonomous flight great for communities, great for business, and great for the world. Yet more than visionaries; we have the tools, instruments, focus, and expertise to execute while utilizing a “People Matter Most” mentality.

Our founder envisioned a massive, untapped opportunity to leverage autonomous flight that would revolutionize how the world may "pitch" and "roll" in the future. To start, we have harnessed the power of airspace technology, analytics platforms, and drone services to transform business operations. Our long-term mission is to be “Safe and Be Exceptional” while building and deploying the world's most accessible drone ecosystem.

Knowing that our mission critical success comes directly from the people we bring onboard, we strive to provide opportunities for our employees to learn, grow, and go beyond the normal Field of View! Come fly with us as our team goes through our checklists that will “Inspire Fast Action” and take an entire industry to new heights. “Be a Person Others Want to Follow!”

About the role
- We are building the systems that enable safe, scalable autonomous drone operations. As Director of Systems Engineering, you will define and own the traceability and verification strategy that ensures our products meet the highest safety and regulatory standards. Reporting directly to the CTO, you will lead our systems engineering and architecture team, establishing the processes, tools, and culture required to deliver safety-critical systems from concept through certification.
- This is a hands-on leadership role. You will work alongside your team on complex technical challenges while building the organizational capability to scale. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in aviation, air traffic management, or safety-critical software systems, combined with a passion for mentoring engineers and driving engineering excellence.

What you'll do

Strategic & Regulatory Leadership
- Define and own the end-to-end traceability and verification strategy, aligning requirements with design, implementation, and certification (DO-178C, DO-254, ARP4754A).
- Establish and continuously improve systems engineering processes and governance.
- Lead safety assessment activities (FHA, SSA, FTA).
- Serve as the SME for systems engineering standards and regulatory compliance (FAA, EASA).
- Maintain current knowledge of evolving UAS regulations and proactively adapt practices

Technical & Team Execution
- Lead the systems engineering and architecture team, providing technical direction on complex system-of-systems challenges.
- Own system architecture decisions, trade studies, and requirements decomposition across all domains.
- Drive the selection and implementation of requirements management and MBSE tools.
- Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing systems engineering team.
- Partner with cross-functional teams (Software, Hardware, Ops) and Product Management to ensure alignment and seamless system integration.

Qualifications

Required
- 10+ years of experience in systems engineering, with at least 5 years in leadership roles
- Deep background in aviation, aerospace, air traffic management, or safety-critical autonomous systems
- Proven experience with aviation safety standards (DO-178C, DO-254, ARP4754A, ARP4761) and certification processes
- Hands-on experience leading safety assessment activities (FHA, PSSA, SSA, FTA, FMEA)
- Strong track record establishing traceability and verification strategies for complex systems
- Experience with requirements management tools (DOORS, Jama, Polarion) and MBSE methodologies (SysML, UML)
- Demonstrated ability to interface with regulatory bodies (FAA, EASA) and industry standards organizations
- Proven ability to build, mentor, and lead high-performing engineering teams
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence at executive and regulatory levels
- Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Preferred
- Experience with UAS/drone systems or emerging aviation technologies (UAM, eVTOL)
- Background in air traffic management systems or airspace integration
- Experience with Agile systems engineering practices and DevSecOps integration
- Master's degree or PhD in a relevant engineering discipline
- INCOSE CSEP or ESEP certification
- Active security clearance or ability to obtain one

Security Responsibility Statement: Employees are expected to provide a high level of security to any personal or private information accessed as part of their work, whether at a DroneUp facility or remotely. This includes participating in security training, remaining sensitive to individual rights to personal privacy, and complying with company policies. Employees who have access to sensitive data that is protected by regulation, such as HIPAA, or by contract, such as credit card data, must comply with any additional requirements dictated by the governing regulations or associated contracts.

Apply now
Job expired?

Please let DroneUp know you found this job on Himalayas. This helps us grow!

Apply now
About the job
Apply before
Oct 15, 2026
Posted on
Aug 16, 2026
Job type
Full Time
Experience level
Director

Salary

Salary: $175K – $195K per year

Education
Bachelor degree

Experience

10 years minimum

Location requirements
Suggest an edit

United States

Hiring timezones
Show UTC offsets

United States +/- 0 hours

Job categories
Systems Engineering Aviation Systems Engineering Aerospace Engineering Safety Engineering Systems Engineering Lead Director Of Systems Architecture Director of Engineering Director Of Systems Integration Systems Engineering Leadership Technology Leadership

Skills
Systems Engineering DO 178C ARP4754A FHA FTA Software FMEA SSAS MBSE SysML UML Requirements Management FAA Regulations SSA DOORS Jama Polarion

Browse similar jobs
Remote Director Systems-Engineering Jobs Remote Full Time Systems-Engineering Jobs Remote Director Systems-Engineering Jobs in United States Remote Full Time Jobs in United States Remote Systems-Engineering Jobs in United States

About DroneUp

Learn more about DroneUp and their company culture.

View company profile

At DroneUp, our core mission is to revolutionize the way people receive products and services, making it safer, more environmentally appropriate, and more economical. We believe that by harnessing the power of drone technology, we can fundamentally change the world for the good. This vision drives our team of elite software architects and roboticists, many with backgrounds as Navy nuclear engineers and combat veterans, to develop groundbreaking interoperability platforms. These platforms enable seamless coordination between diverse unmanned systems across air, land, and sea, regardless of manufacturer or protocol. Our proprietary translation layer and edge computing framework facilitate real-time mission coordination, dynamic replanning, and robust operation, even in challenging environments.

Our culture is one of innovation, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in autonomous systems integration. This commitment extends to our partnerships, including a significant collaboration with Walmart, which has allowed us to scale our last-mile drone delivery program and reach millions of households across the United States. We are not just developing technology; we are building an ecosystem that benefits communities, businesses, and the world. This includes a focus on creating a positive employee experience where diversity and individuality are valued, and where every team member has the opportunity to contribute to world-changing technology.

We are passionate about making autonomous flight good for communities and good for business, and we are dedicated to building the world's safest and most accessible drone ecosystem. Our work involves not only pioneering drone delivery for retail and healthcare but also providing critical services for border security, emergency response, and infrastructure monitoring.

Apply now
Job expired?

Please let DroneUp know you found this job on Himalayas. This helps us grow!
Apply now

About the job
Apply before
Oct 15, 2026
Posted on
Aug 16, 2026
Job type
Full Time
Experience level
Director

Salary

Salary: $175K – $195K per year

Education
Bachelor degree

Experience

10 years minimum

Location requirements
Suggest an edit

United States

Hiring timezones
Show UTC offsets

United States +/- 0 hours

Job categories
Systems Engineering Aviation Systems Engineering Aerospace Engineering Safety Engineering Systems Engineering Lead Director Of Systems Architecture Director of Engineering Director Of Systems Integration Systems Engineering Leadership Technology Leadership

Skills
Systems Engineering DO 178C ARP4754A FHA FTA Software FMEA SSAS MBSE SysML UML Requirements Management FAA Regulations SSA DOORS Jama Polarion

Browse similar jobs
Remote Director Systems-Engineering Jobs Remote Full Time Systems-Engineering Jobs Remote Director Systems-Engineering Jobs in United States Remote Full Time Jobs in United States Remote Systems-Engineering Jobs in United States

Claim this profile DR DroneUp

Company size

201-500 employees

Founded in

2016

Chief executive officer

Tom Walker

Markets
Drone Technology Autonomous Systems Last Mile Delivery Retail Logistics Edge Computing Emergency Response Services Infrastructure Monitoring Defense and Security Healthcare Logistics Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Employees live in
United States

View company profile

Similar remote jobs

Here are other jobs you might want to apply for.

View all remote jobs

4 remote jobs at DroneUp

Explore the variety of open remote roles at DroneUp, offering flexible work options across multiple disciplines and skill levels.

View all jobs at DroneUp

Top remote companies
Remote companies like DroneUp

Find your next opportunity by exploring profiles of companies that are similar to DroneUp. Compare culture, benefits, and job openings on Himalayas.

View all companies

Get matched with your dream remote job

Sign up now and join over 250,000+ remote workers who receive personalized job alerts, curated job matches, and more for free!

Sign up with Google Sign up

Save Apply now