Chief Engineer

Destinusgroup in Zürich, CH, seeks a Chief Engineer to lead the development of next-generation Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for defense applications. The role requires defining product architecture from first principles, leading technical teams, and driving systems from concept to flight-ready demonstrators.

This role is central to defining and building a new aerospace product from first principles, transforming ambiguous defense challenges into functional flying platforms. Destinusgroup is advancing the defense industry with cutting-edge UAVs and collaborates with global government and defense agencies to deliver mission-critical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Define system objectives and translate mission requirements into a practical, real-world product architecture.
• Integrate controls, sensing, navigation, software, propulsion, avionics, and testing to ensure all components support the overall product goal.
• Lead technical architecture decisions and make strategic trade-offs on what to develop, source, or challenge.
• Establish rapid design-test-learn cycles using simulation, hardware testing, and iteration to turn uncertainty into validated knowledge.
• Build and manage a small, high-performing engineering team, maintaining high technical standards and sharp execution.
• Identify key technical risks early and design targeted experiments to resolve them quickly.
• Guide the system from initial concept through to a flight-ready demonstrator, ensuring technical credibility and scalability.

Requirements

• Strong academic background in aerospace engineering, physics, robotics, control systems, or a related discipline.
• In-depth knowledge of dynamics, estimation, controls, and system-level thinking.
• Proven experience with high-dynamic or high-reliability systems, preferably including full test or flight cycles.
• Ability to transition between architecture design, simulation, coding, and hands-on testing.
• Experience conducting system trade studies, using simulation environments, and integrating complex subsystems into a unified product.
• Solid coding and modeling skills with a practical, results-oriented approach.
• Experience applying AI tools to accelerate engineering workflows in tangible ways.
• Capability to lead technical teams while remaining actively involved in core engineering tasks.

About the company

Destinusgroup emphasizes systems thinking, product focus, ownership, speed, first principles, and technical depth, prioritizing these over bureaucratic processes.

• Values systems thinking and product focus over bureaucracy.
• Encourages ownership and technical depth.
• Prioritizes speed and first principles in engineering decisions.