Lead Product Development Engineer

About Syos Aerospace

SYOS is a fast-growing global robotics and aerospace company, driving the development of cutting-edge uncrewed vehicles (drones) across air, land, and sea for dual-use applications. Founded in 2021 and dual-headquartered in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, SYOS operates an expanding international footprint, with R&D, manufacturing and production facilities across both countries and an operational and support presence in Ukraine.

Role Overview

The Lead Product Development Engineer drives the technical development of one or more of SYOS' autonomous, uncrewed vehicles. This role provides technical leadership across the full product development lifecycle, from design concept through build, test, and transition to production, owning system-level technical outcomes and guiding cross-disciplinary engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership of Product Development

• Drive the technical development of highly capable, autonomous, uncrewed air and land vehicles
• Work closely with Project Managers to align technical scope and decisions with schedule, resource and budgets
• Set the technical direction and make architectural design decisions
• Guide cross-functional technical trade-offs across engineering disciplines and adjacent functions e.g. production, quality
• Ensure designs are manufacturable, testable, and production-ready
• Chair technical reviews and project technical meetings

Risk, Verification & Compliance

• Manage technical risks by identifying and mitigating risks proactively
• Define and own the verification and validation strategy
• Ensure engineering outputs meet technical standards and safety expectations
• Approve technical documents, designs, and configuration baselines

Project Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Drive successful product development by getting the best outcomes from cross-disciplinary engineering project teams
• Communicate technical plans, decisions, and actions clearly to stakeholders
• Act as the primary technical interface across internal teams and, where required, external customers or partners
• Mentor and develop engineers, building long-term capability

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor/Master of Engineering or PhD
• 8+ years' experience in product development
• 2+ years' experience in technical leadership roles
• Strong engineering technical background including exposure to multiple disciplines and cross-discipline integration
• Experience leading engineering teams through product design, build, and test

Advantageous

• Experience in aerospace/defence, uncrewed vehicles, or robotics
• Postgraduate qualifications or advanced technical certifications

What We Offer

• A dynamic and fast-paced environment working on state-of-the-art UxV technology
• Opportunities for career growth in a high-tech, innovative team
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Visa sponsorship for international candidates

Location

This position is based in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.