---
title: 'Rapid Prototyping Engineer – Drones & Unmanned Systems at HavocAI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/rapid-prototyping-engineer-drones-unmanned-systems-havocai-san-diego-cq5dzh1v2bvs'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-03'
---

# Rapid Prototyping Engineer – Drones & Unmanned Systems at HavocAI

- **Company:** HavocAI
- **Location:** San Diego, CA
- **Compensation:** $150k–$180k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-09-02
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-03
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/havocai/e51defa3-e41b-4f6c-bfe3-4d89e694004f

## Job description

## ABOUT US:

Havoc is a leader in all-domain collaborative autonomy. Its software-defined hardware approach powers military and commercial-grade autonomous systems across sea, air, and land to sense, decide, and act together in complex and contested environments. Havoc connects assets, enabling them to share information, adapt in real time, and continue operating even when communications are disrupted or denied. Havoc optimizes mission performance and minimizes human risk.

Havoc was founded in 2024 and headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. Learn more at Havoc: All-Domain Collaborative Autonomy http://havocai.com/ .

## ABOUT THE ROLE

HavocAI is seeking a Senior Rapid Prototyping Engineer to lead the technical maturation of Locust, our advanced unmanned aircraft system (UAS), as it transitions from a demonstrated prototype to a Department of Defense (DoD) fieldable, Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) platform.

This role is for an engineer who wants to spend significant time working directly with hardware. You will turn early concepts into functioning prototypes, integrate mechanical and electrical systems, troubleshoot vehicles, conduct tests, and make fast design changes based on what you learn.

## KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- Rapidly turn concepts and requirements into functional drone prototypes
- Design and modify airframes, mechanisms, brackets, mounts, enclosures, payload interfaces, and vehicle components
- Build and assemble prototype unmanned aircraft and subsystems
- Integrate motors, propulsion systems, batteries, avionics, sensors, compute hardware, communications, equipment, and payloads
- Create quick-turn CAD designs and engineering drawings
- Use additive manufacturing, CNC machining, sheet metal, composites, and other fabrication methods to produce prototype parts
- Perform hands-on fabrication, assembly, rework, and modification of prototype hardware
- Develop test fixtures and experimental setups
- Support bench testing, ground testing, environmental testing, and flight testing
- Diagnose hardware and integration failures across mechanical and electromechanical systems
- Rapidly redesign components based on test results

## REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

- BS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, or equivalent practical engineering experience
- 3+ years developing physical hardware systems
- Demonstrated experience building and testing drones, UAVs, robotics, aircraft, or autonomous systems
- Strong mechanical CAD skills
- Significant hands-on experience building electromechanical prototypes
- Experience with multiple manufacturing and fabrication processes
- Strong mechanical intuition and ability to troubleshoot real-world hardware problems
- Comfortable using common shop tools and performing prototype assembly and modification

## PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Personally designed, built, modified, or operated drones/UAVs
- Experience with multirotor, VTOL, fixed-wing, or hybrid UAV platforms
- Experience integrating electric propulsion systems
- Experience with motors, ESCs, batteries, servos, flight controllers, radios, GPS, sensors, or avionics
- RC aircraft, drone racing, experimental aircraft, robotics competition, or similar hands-on project experience

## WHY HAVOCAI

At HavocAI, you'll help build autonomous systems that solve real-world challenges in some of the most demanding environments imaginable. You'll work alongside exceptional engineers, move quickly, and see your work transition from prototype to production and ultimately into the hands of operators.

If you're excited about solving difficult engineering problems, owning critical technical decisions, and helping shape the future of autonomous systems, we'd love to hear from you.

## BENEFITS:

- 100% Employer paid Health, Dental and Vision Insurance for you and your families
- Life Insurance (Employer Paid)
- Ability to participate in the companies 401k program (Matching)
- Unlimited PTO policy with an enforced 2 week minimum
- Equity Package
- Work / Home Office Stipend
- Global Entry
- 16 Week Paid Parental Leave
- Monthly Health and Wellness Stipend

## OUR VALUES:

- Innovation: We are driven to break new ground. Every day presents an opportunity to challenge the status quo, think boldly, and deliver advanced solutions that transform the future of defense technology.
- Integrity: We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, ensuring transparency, accountability, and trust in all our actions and partnerships.
- Mission-Driven: We are focused on achieving impactful outcomes that align with our core mission—protecting lives through innovation.
- Forward-Leaning: We continuously seek out new opportunities and remain at the forefront of technological advancements. We embrace change and anticipate the challenges of tomorrow with confidence and creativity.
- Ownership of All Tasks: At HavocAI, no problem is too complex or too trivial. We believe that greatness comes from tackling the hardest challenges, but also in handling the smallest, sometimes thankless, tasks with the same level of commitment and care.
- Servant Leadership: We lead by serving others, whether it’s supporting our employees, partners, or the broader community. Empowering those around us is key to achieving long-term success and making a lasting impact.

HavocAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

## About HavocAI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: HavocAI builds collaborative autonomy software that enables a single human operator to supervise thousands of autonomous assets across sea, air, and land in contested environments.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Paul Lwin (CEO) and Joe Turner (COO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Defense and Space Manufacturing, Autonomous Systems, Maritime Security
- **Target customers**: U.S. Navy, Army, and allied defense forces; commercial maritime security operators
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Minimize human risk in the world's most unstable environments, removing humans from the dull, dirty, and dangerous."

## Products & Services
- **Havoc C2**: An intuitive command-and-control interface that lets operators define intent and direct large numbers of autonomous assets across distributed systems, scaling complex multi-asset missions without proportional increases in manpower.
- **Havoc Connect**: A resilient peer-to-peer overlay network for data exchange across DDIL (Disrupted, Disconnected, Intermittent, Limited) networks, enabling systems to exchange commands, telemetry, and mission data even when connectivity is intermittent or degraded.
- **Havoc OS**: An operating system for autonomous systems at the edge, enabling heterogeneous platforms to carry out collaborative missions, adapt to changing conditions, and continue operating in DDIL environments.
- **Havoc Insights**: An intelligence layer that fuses AI and analytics, ingesting real-time data streams from vehicles, sensors, and system services to surface insights, trends, and anomalies for mission-level decision support.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding of $197.2M across three rounds (Seed, two Series A tranches)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Scout Ventures, Trousdale Ventures, IQT (lead Series A), Azak (MOU for autonomous ground systems)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 221.3% year-over-year to 98 employees; acquired Mavrik in March 2026; over 25,000 hours of autonomous operations; 11 active job postings with quarterly growth of +10.0%

## Competitive Advantages
- **Software-defined autonomy**: Havoc's platform is platform-agnostic, integrating with existing vehicles, sensors, and C2 networks without major redesigns, making it interoperable across sea, air, and land domains.
- **Human-on-the-loop architecture**: Enables a single operator to supervise thousands of autonomous assets, dramatically reducing manpower requirements for complex multi-asset missions.
- **DDIL resilience**: Havoc Connect creates a resilient peer-to-peer overlay network that maintains operations even when communications are disrupted, intermittent, or denied — a critical capability for contested military environments.
- **Proven track record**: Over 25,000 hours of autonomous operations, validated through real-world exercises with U.S. Navy and Army stakeholders.

## Strategic Focus
- **All-domain collaborative autonomy**: Scaling from maritime to air and land domains, enabling heterogeneous platforms to work together seamlessly.
- **Fully adaptive maritime autonomy**: Building systems that can anticipate, collaborate, and make independent decisions in dynamic environments.
- **International expansion**: Head of Europe appointed (Theodora Dell), indicating a push into allied defense markets.
- **Ground systems expansion**: MOU with Azak to produce high mobility autonomous ground systems, diversifying beyond maritime.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: Employees work on cutting-edge autonomy technology that directly reduces human risk in dangerous environments — "removing humans from the dull, dirty, and dangerous."
- **Strong growth trajectory**: 221.3% headcount growth year-over-year, with $197.2M in total funding, indicating a well-capitalized, scaling organization.
- **Comprehensive benefits**: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision for employees and families; stock options; 16 weeks fully paid parental leave; unlimited PTO with a two-week enforced minimum; monthly wellness stipend; home office stipend; 401(k) program; Global Entry reimbursement.
- **Work model**: Remote and hybrid options available, with corporate HQ, test, and production facilities in Providence, RI. Open roles also listed in Honolulu, HI and San Diego, CA.
- **Engineering culture**: Deep technical challenges in autonomy, robotics, edge computing, and defense-grade software. Team includes talent from US Navy, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Anduril, Shield AI, and Lockheed Martin.

## Sources
1. [havocai.com](https://www.havocai.com/)
2. [havocai.com/careers](https://havocai.com/careers)
3. [havocai.com/about](https://havocai.com/about)
4. [linkedin.com/company/havocai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/havocai)
5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/havocai](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/havocai)

## Other roles at HavocAI

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- [Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiter-havocai-san-diego-p0ty7dde3xaa) — San Diego, CA
- [Senior Drone Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-drone-engineer-havocai-san-diego-5ban077zqqxg) — San Diego, CA
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