Frontera Space · 1 day ago
Chief Engineer Archangel UAS
Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
8+ years expFrontera Space is seeking a Chief Engineer to serve as the senior technical authority for the Archangel UAS, a next-generation autonomous aircraft designed for long-endurance ISR and advanced mission operations. The Chief Engineer will oversee the technical integrity and engineering execution of the Archangel platform, ensuring all subsystems integrate into a cohesive, manufacturable, and mission-capable aircraft.
Defense & Space
Responsibilities
Own the aircraft-level specification, technical baseline, and configuration for the Archangel UAS
Serve as the single-point technical authority for the vehicle, accountable for performance, safety, and airworthiness
Define and ensure compliance with FAA and other applicable regulatory and governing bodies, including development and execution of experimental and/or certification strategies
Govern the integrated engineering solution across systems engineering, structures, fluids and propulsion, software, avionics, and manufacturing teams
Establish and maintain requirements flowdown, allocation, verification, and validation at the vehicle and subsystem levels
Adjudicate cross-disciplinary technical trades, interface decisions, and risk posture to ensure vehicle-level convergence
Chair and approve technical readiness at major program reviews (CoDR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR as applicable)
Oversee interface control documentation (ICDs) and ensure architectural coherence across all subsystems
Partner with Program Management to align technical execution with cost, schedule, and risk objectives
Guide prototype build, ground test, flight test, envelope expansion, and certification activities
Establish engineering standards, design practices, and long-term technical roadmap for the platform
Mentor and provide technical leadership to the broader engineering team
Qualification
Required
8+ years of aerospace engineering experience with aircraft-level ownership
Demonstrated experience serving as Chief Engineer, Deputy Chief Engineer, or equivalent technical authority on an aircraft or complex aerospace system
Strong systems engineering background with hands-on design experience
BS in Aerospace, Mechanical, Materials, or a related engineering discipline
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and close technical decisions
Experience balancing performance, manufacturability, cost, schedule, and risk
Familiarity with composite structures and high-rate production and associated designs
Experience supporting design reviews and flight hardware development
U.S. work authorization required
Preferred
15+ years of aerospace experience with at least one program taken through flight test
MS or PhD in Aerospace, Mechanical, Materials, or a related engineering discipline
Experience with autonomous aircraft, UAS certification pathways, or experimental flight programs
Prior responsibility for certification, safety-of-flight, or airworthiness decisions
Experience in R&D and production implementation
Benefits
Competitive salary
Meaningful startup equity
Company
Frontera Space
2-10 employeesFunding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase