Chief Engineer - Drone and Delivery System

Chief Engineer - Drone and Delivery System The Role We are an innovative aerospace startup seeking a Chief Engineer for our Drone and Delivery System. At Maple Aviation we develop a unique Tail-Sitter Drone that flies with one propeller only and is controlled in position via a flap-thrust-vectoring system. Our ambition is to create a highly efficient autonomous drone platform for delivery applications. In this role, you will be the technical owner of the complete aircraft and delivery system. You will lead the engineering direction from prototype to product, ensuring that the airframe, propulsion, flight control, avionics, software, delivery mechanism, safety architecture, and operational requirements work together as one reliable system. You will work closely with the founders, engineering team, operations, assembly, flight test, suppliers, and certification partners. What you'll do Own the overall technical architecture, system design, and engineering roadmap of the Maple drone and delivery system Lead cross-disciplinary engineering across aircraft design, propulsion, flight control, avionics, embedded systems, payload/delivery mechanism, ground systems, and test infrastructure Translate customer, operational, certification, and business requirements into clear technical requirements and system specifications Drive trade studies on performance, endurance, payload, cost, reliability, maintainability, safety, and manufacturability Lead design reviews, technical risk reviews, failure analysis, root-cause investigations, and engineering decision processes Establish engineering processes for requirements management, interface control, configuration management, verification, validation, and documentation Work with the flight test team to plan test campaigns, analyze results, and close the loop between test data and design improvements Support certification strategy, safety cases, and compliance documentation Mentor and develop engineers while keeping the team focused on technical excellence and fast execution Collaborate with assembly and supply chain to ensure the aircraft can be built, tested, maintained, and scaled reliably What you bring M.Sc., Dipl.-Ing., PhD, or equivalent experience in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics, electrical engineering, systems engineering, or related field 10+ years of engineering experience in aerospace, UAVs, eVTOL, aircraft systems, robotics, automotive, or other safety-critical hardware/software systems Proven experience leading complex multidisciplinary engineering projects from concept through prototype, test, and productization Strong understanding of aircraft systems, flight mechanics, control systems, propulsion, avionics, embedded systems, and system safety Experience with UAS, VTOL, fixed-wing aircraft, delivery drones, autonomous systems, or certification-driven product development is a strong plus Excellent ability to make technical trade-offs and drive decisions under uncertainty Experience with requirements management, verification and validation, FMEA/FTA, configuration control, and design reviews Strong leadership skills with the ability to mentor engineers and build a high-performance technical culture Hands-on mindset and willingness to work directly with prototypes, flight tests, and real hardware We are an international team communicating in English; German language skills are an advantage What we offer We offer the opportunity to become the technical leader of a breakthrough drone aircraft and delivery system at a decisive stage of company growth. If you are passionate about aircraft engineering, autonomous systems, and building real products that fly, we would love to hear from you. #J-18808-Ljbffr