Senior Project Manager – UAV Systems (UAE)

Hey UAV Project Manager Look, I’ll be straight with you. We’re a growing aerospace company in the UAE working on some pretty interesting unmanned systems projects, and we need someone who actually knows what they’re doing to help us deliver them.

This isn’t your typical corporate gig. You’ll be working on real UAV programs that actually fly and do meaningful work. Think flight control integration, mission payloads, the whole nine yards. If you’ve been in aerospace long enough, you know how rare it is to work on stuff that actually matters.

What the job actually involves UAV Project Manager

You’ll be running projects from start to finish. That means dealing with autopilot systems, navigation equipment, cameras, sensors – basically everything that makes a UAV more than just a fancy remote control plane. You’ll also be the person making sure we hit our deadlines, stay within budget, and don’t get ourselves in trouble with certification requirements.

The work involves a lot of coordination. Engineers, vendors, stakeholders, regulatory folks – you’ll be talking to all of them. Some days you’ll be deep in technical specifications, other days you’ll be explaining to executives why we need another month to get the software right.

We follow industry standards (DO-178C, DO-254, MIL-STDs) because we have to, not because we love paperwork. Someone needs to make sure we’re actually compliant, and that someone would be you.

Who we’re actually looking for UAV Project Manager

Honestly? We need someone who’s been around long enough to have seen things go wrong and knows how to prevent it. Fifteen years in aerospace sounds about right, with at least eight of those managing actual projects (not just calling yourself a project manager).

You should have worked on UAV systems before. Not just regular aircraft – unmanned systems have their own quirks and challenges. If you’ve integrated avionics on drones or worked with autonomous flight systems, you’ll understand what we’re dealing with.

The tools part is pretty standard – DOORS, Jira, MS Project, Polarion. If you don’t know these, you can probably learn them. More important is understanding why we use them and how they fit into the bigger picture.

Since this is UAE-based, you’ll need to be able to get security clearance here. That’s not something we can help with – either you’re eligible or you’re not. Also, you’ll need to actually move to the UAE. We’re not doing remote work for this role.

Requirements (the real ones)

Bachelor’s degree in something relevant – Avionics, Aerospace, Electrical Engineering. A Master’s degree is nice to have but we care more about what you’ve actually done.

You need to speak English well enough to run meetings and write reports. Arabic would be helpful but it’s not a dealbreaker.

Why you might want this job

The UAE aerospace sector is actually growing, unlike some other places. You’d be working on systems that get built and deployed, not just studied to death in committees.

Our team is pretty experienced – mostly people who’ve worked at major aerospace companies and defense contractors. The environment is less bureaucratic than the big primes, but we still know what we’re doing.

The pay is competitive and we’ll help you relocate. Moving to a new country is a big deal, so we try to make it as painless as possible.

If you’re interested

Send us your resume and tell us about a UAV project you’ve actually managed. What went wrong? What did you learn? We’re more interested in honest stories than perfect success narratives.

Also, please don’t apply if you’re not serious about relocating. We get a lot of applications from people who seem to think this is a remote job or that they can negotiate their way out of moving to the UAE. It’s not happening.
Apply Directly for UAV Project Manager