Senior Engineer - Drones

Job title: Senior Engineer – Drones

Salary: £67,000 to £73,000+ dependant on skills, knowledge and experience + Company Benefits

Grade: Band 3

Contract type: TfL Reference: 5962

Team: Survey and Remote Measurement Directorate: Engineering and Asset Strategy

Contract details: TfL Permanent / Full Time Location: Stratford and TfL Sites across London

Application closing date: Sunday 8th of November 2026 at 23:59

All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right‑to‑work checks. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. At the present time TfL is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Hybrid working, within this role enables a balance of 50% of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.

Join us in TfL Engineering’s Survey and Remote Measurement team and play a leading role in shaping how drone technology is used across one of the world's largest and most complex transport networks. This is a unique opportunity to lead the establishment of TfL's in-house drone capability whilst acting as the organisation's recognised subject matter expert for drone operations.

Overview of role

You will lead the development of TfL's drone capability, supporting activities such as infrastructure inspection, surveying, asset monitoring, operational response and innovation. You will also provide technical assurance for drone operations, engage with regulators and industry partners, and help evaluate new technologies and operating models including Drone-in-a-Box and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. As TfL’s drone expert you’ll advise on the governance, standards, processes and technologies needed to enable safe, compliant and effective drone operations across TfL.

You will work with stakeholders across TfL to identify opportunities for drone deployment, provide expert technical advice and ensure compliance with aviation legislation and industry best practice. Day-to-day, your focus will be on enabling the delivery of drone services via the in-house capability and via external partners.

This is a unique opportunity to influence the future direction of drone technology across TfL whilst delivering tangible benefits in safety, efficiency and delivery.

Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), associated technologies and their application for surveying, inspection, security and operational response. (Essential)
• Detailed knowledge of UK drone legislation, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations, Operational Authorisations and emerging regulatory developments. (Essential)
• Knowledge of operational safety management systems, risk management processes, human factors and aviation safety principles. (Desirable)
• Knowledge of drone sensor technologies and workflows including photogrammetry, LiDAR, thermal imaging and visual inspection. (Desirable)
• Understanding of information management, cyber security, privacy and data protection requirements associated with drone operations. (Desirable)
• Knowledge of emerging drone technologies and future operational concepts, including Drone-in-a-Box and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. (Desirable)
• Knowledge of relevant industry standards, guidance and best practice relating to commercial drone operations. (Desirable)

Skills

• Strong technical leadership skills with the ability to provide authoritative advice and assurance on drone-related matters. (Essential)
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to assess operational risks and develop proportionate control measures. (Desirable)
• Ability to influence and build effective working relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. (Desirable)
• Ability to identify, evaluate and implement innovative technologies and solutions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration skills. (Desirable)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate complex technical and regulatory matters to both technical and non-technical audiences. (Desirable)
• Ability to develop business cases, implementation plans and strategic capability roadmaps. (Desirable)

Experience

• Experience establishing, developing or managing a drone capability and associated operations within a complex or regulated organisation. (Essential)
• Experience of operating within, or managing compliance against, CAA regulatory requirements and aviation legislation. (Essential)
• Experience of delivering engineering, inspection, surveying or asset management activities using drone technologies. (Desirable)
• Experience of implementing software systems for drone operations, airspace management, data sharing and compliance reporting. (Desirable)
• Experience of developing training, competency or assurance arrangements for operational personnel. (Desirable)
• Experience of introducing new technologies and operational concepts to deliver business improvement and innovation. (Desirable)
• Experience of working with regulators, suppliers and multidisciplinary stakeholders. (Desirable)

It's important you bring a passion for the TfL Vision and strategy too. That's because, wherever you join us, you'll explore work of unparalleled scale, scope and variety across a unique range of projects as you build your career and expertise. So come and help shape the future of drone operations across London's transport network.

Application Process 

• Please apply using your CV and 1 page Cover Letter

• Think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience in the advert and cover this in your CV and cover letter

• PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve. We believe that a diverse workforce enables us to deliver better services and outcomes. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people. As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we aim to offer an assessment or interview to candidates who apply via the scheme where the minimum essential criteria for skills, knowledge and experience has been met. In some circumstances, it may not be practical to offer an interview or assessment to every candidate who applies through the scheme and meet the minimum essential criteria; in these situations, we select candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than interviewing all who meet them.

Across all recruitment activity, we recognise that selection methods may vary depending on the nature and scale of the campaign and will be applied fairly, consistently and proportionately in line with our Disability Confident commitments.  

We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the level of role but mostly include the below:

Final salary pension scheme 
Free travel for you on the TfL network 
Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home
30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays 
TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow
Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional) 
Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
Retail, health, leisure and travel offers 
Discounted Eurostar travel

 
We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.

Vetting Process

At Transport for London, safety, trust and fairness sit at the heart of how we recruit. Our Vetting Charter (https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/careers/our-vetting-process) explains the checks we carry out before you join us, helping ensure we create a safe, inclusive and reliable network for everyone who depends on our services. We simply ask that the information you provide is honest and accurate so we can progress your application smoothly. If something doesn’t match or can’t be verified, we may not be able to move forward with your application, but we’ll always treat you with transparency, respect, and clear communication throughout.