The uncrewed systems industry, including air/space, robotics, ground, and maritime systems, continues to increase with the complexity and variability of designs, operations, and regulations; driving the need for qualified and knowledgeable professionals, well versed in capabilities, requirements, and considerations. This sustained growth provides a multitude of career options, evidenced by the number and scope of advertised employment opportunities, worth a combined approximate $5.33B. Those with the relevant education, knowledge, skills, and experience will be well positioned to identify effective and efficient applications, cultivate innovation, provide leadership, and solve challenges affecting the field. The intent of this document is to convey descriptions of the type, number, and locations of career possibilities available or benefiting from completion of uncrewed systems-related curricula and degrees. The presented information is not meant to serve as an exhaustive identifier of all career prospects, but instead to provide a guide for identifying potential opportunities, disciplines, or career tracks to pursue during or upon completion of educational milestones.
Purpose
This website is categorized by career opportunities, companies, and locations to assist with student educational guidance, career development, and eventual job pursuit. It is envisioned that a student entering an uncrewed system-related educational program will have researched and considered the type of career opportunities most aligned to their own experience, education, and personal interests, prior to starting coursework. Such research will assist in gaining a fundamental understanding of typical expectations and requirements across the field. The insight offered from this personal evaluation and exploration of opportunities will serve to support the development of personal goals, guide selection of further education options, completion of coursework (e.g., selection of research design, topics, and project focus), and personal career development and growth. The information presented, includes titles, descriptions, and number and locations of positions identified and compiled from sources conventionally used to support job pursuit, such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics and career development and search websites (e.g., Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com).
Contact Us
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
About the Author
Dr. Brent Terwilliger
Associate Professor, College of Aviation
Dr. Brent Terwilliger
Brent A. Terwilliger Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Aeronautics and the Program Coordinator of the MS in Unmanned Systems degree at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), Worldwide campus, College of Aviation. Dr. Terwilliger earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration in Aviation from Northcentral University (2012), as well as a Master’s of Aeronautical Science (2005) and B.S. in Aerospace Studies (2000) from ERAU. He has more than a decade of experience in defense contracting, supporting several federal-level customers, including the U.S. Postal Service for automated sortation technologies and the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy on a wide variety of simulation training systems. As a tenured faculty member at ERAU, Dr. Terwilliger has has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications, presented research findings at international venues, and provided unmanned system expertise across televised, print, and digital media. He previously served as the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Aviation and as the Program Chair for the launch of the online MS in Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Engineering program at ERAU-Worldwide. He currently represents ERAU as a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)’s Emerging Technologies committee, a Director of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)’s Florida Peninsula Chapter, a Co-PI on a National Science Foundation-funded IUSE project, and member of the Federal Aviation Administration-funded ASSURE UAS A50 research project.
