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Viśvambhara · Aerospace

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Senior leadership

Nano-Drone Systems Lead

Drone Engineering, Systems Integration, Prototyping & Team Leadership

Lead Full-Time India / Worldwide India / Worldwide

Compensation

Performance-Based Compensation | Negotiable

Engagement

Full-Time

Permanent role. Full-time commitment. Remote-first, with periodic in-person off-sites.

Scope of role

Set direction within your domain. Build and mentor a team. Own outcomes at the function level.

01 — The role

Why this role exists at EduRankAI

Visvambhara is EduRankAI's deep-tech aerospace programme building a multi-environment autonomous vehicle ecosystem — NanoBees (3.2g autonomous drone units), Mothership, and GrandMotherShip — operating across underwater, atmospheric, and space environments. We are at the prototype phase of the NanoBee and are looking for one exceptionally talented systems engineer to own and deliver the first working bee drone — client-ready.

02 — The work

What you will own

  • 01 Own end-to-end design, integration, and delivery of the NanoBee prototype
  • 02 Lead and mentor a team of research interns across hardware, embedded, power, and communication tracks
  • 03 Define the technical architecture of the 3.2g drone — structure, propulsion, compute, camera, and power
  • 04 Prototype, test, iterate, and document each subsystem to a client-demonstrable standard
  • 05 Coordinate across materials, energy, and communication workstreams
  • 06 Interface directly with founders on technical progress, milestones, and client deliverables
  • 07 Identify gaps, hire or delegate to interns, and keep the build moving

03 — The expertise

What we look for

Micro-UAV / Nano-Drone Systems: Full-stack drone design, miniaturised flight control, micro-propulsionEmbedded Systems: PCB design, firmware, real-time OS, sensor fusion, onboard computePower & Energy: Micro-power management, energy harvesting, battery systems for sub-5g devicesMechanical & Materials: Lightweight structural design, graphene or composite material handling, thermal managementComputer Vision & AI: Onboard camera integration, edge inference, compact AI modelsSystems Integration: Bringing hardware, software, power, and communication into one working unitLeadership: Ability to guide interns, break down problems, and drive execution to delivery

04 — The bar

Who thrives here

  • Has built and flown at least one working micro or nano drone prototype — this is non-negotiable
  • Background in aerospace, robotics, embedded systems, mechatronics, or equivalent
  • Top universities globally or equivalent — or self-taught with a strong verifiable portfolio
  • Publications, patents, open-source projects, or competition wins preferred
  • Ability to work independently, take ownership, and deliver under pressure
  • Open to all nationalities — we hire on capability, not geography
  • Passion for deep-tech and planetary-scale thinking is essential

05 — How we work

The EduRankAI environment

Where you work matters

This role is based in India / Worldwide. We chose this on purpose — the work calls for proximity, collaboration, and presence. We will help with relocation where appropriate.

High autonomy, high standards

We hire adults and trust them. You will be expected to set your own goals, communicate clearly, and ship.

Builders, not bureaucrats

We optimise for clarity over process. Make the call, ship the work, write up what you learned.

Bharat-built, globally ambitious

We are an Indian frontier AI lab. We build for India first and the world second — in that order.

06 — Hiring process

What to expect after you apply

  1. 01

    Application review

    Every application is read personally within five business days. We respond either way.

  2. 02

    Take-home or live exercise

    Role-specific. Time-boxed. Real problems we are actually working on, not invented puzzles.

  3. 03

    Conversations

    Deep technical and values conversations with the team you would join. No trick questions. No panel ambushes.

  4. 04

    Offer or honest no

    If yes: digital offer letter, signed in-portal, transparent terms. If no: written feedback if you want it.

Before you start

What we will collect. What it costs. What we will not do with it.

We will collect

  • Name, email, phone — Account + application updates. No marketing.
  • Resume / portfolio link — Human review of your work.
  • Date + place of birth — Identity verification only.
  • Your written responses — Selection rubric. Read by humans.
  • Government ID (later) — Anti-fraud at offer / interview stage. Not at signup.

We will never

  • Sell your data
  • Share with third-party recruiters
  • Use for advertising
  • Train models on it
  • Send marketing email

Our situation

EduRankAI is a small, independent organization building long-term capabilities in educational intelligence, advanced AI systems, and research infrastructure. We take no advertiser money, no donations with strings attached, and no investor pressure on hiring decisions. The small per-application fee covers the real cost of processing your application — human review, identity verification, infrastructure, reviewer time. It buys us the right to be honest. Genuine financial hardship? Request a fee waiver inside the application — reviewed individually within 5 business days, with no record in your file and no second-class treatment of waiver-granted applications.

Full transparency policy Questions? Email us

Ready to apply?

We read every application personally. If you are the right person for this role — regardless of pedigree, background, or where you are based — you will hear back from us within five business days.

Lead Full-Time

Nano-Drone Systems Lead

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