Drone Jobs in London

The UK's financial and tech hub, London is a bustling centre for drone innovation and operations. From urban air mobility to advanced surveillance, the city is at the forefront of UAV technology.

Open roles
34
Hiring companies
5

London, the capital and largest city in the UK, is a key hub for drone technology and operations. The city's vibrant tech ecosystem, coupled with its dense urban environment, makes it an ideal location for companies working on urban air mobility, aerial surveying, and advanced surveillance. Major tech firms, startups, and research institutions are all active in the drone space, creating a diverse range of roles from drone piloting and engineering to software development and regulatory compliance. Whether you're looking to work in a bustling office or a cutting-edge research lab, London offers a dynamic and exciting environment for drone professionals.

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34 live roles

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Spectrum IT Recruitment

Principal Software Engineer (Safety-Critical)

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  • London
  • Hybrid
  • £80,000 – £100,000 pa
  • Lead

Hands-on technical leadership role reporting directly to the CTO, combining architecture ownership with mentoring engineers and facilitating Scrum delivery. Focus on real-time embedded software in C, C++ and Python for autonomous and safety-critical systems, with hardware/software integration and controlled development lifecycles.

DO-178C · ISO 26262 · IEC 61508

Today

Helsing

Systems Engineer - System Architecture - Contra

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  • London

Owns the top-level L0/L1 architecture of a distributed C-UAS system-of-systems, partitioning the capability into network, sensor and effector subsystems and defining the interfaces between them. Works on decentralised, hardware-agnostic designs enabling engage-on-remote and launch-on-remote, collaborating daily with situational awareness, interceptor integration, AI, software and hardware teams.

Tactical Networking · Mesh Communications · Resilient Data Links +1

Yesterday

Anduril

Global Train and Advise Lead, Europe

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  • London
  • Lead

Operational leader delivering multi-level technical training and Train the Trainer courses to European militaries, advising senior staff on CONOPs, mission planning and adoption of autonomous systems. Combines command-level advising with hands-on field deployment, integration and troubleshooting in austere environments, feeding user feedback back to engineering and product teams.

Lattice OS

Clearance required 2 days ago

Matchtech

Electrical Engineer

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  • London
  • £70 – £80 ph

Design, develop and integrate electrical systems for uncrewed aircraft, covering electrical architectures, power distribution, PCB layouts, cable harnesses and avionics integration. You'll work alongside mechanical, software and systems engineers across the full lifecycle, supporting ground and flight testing of autonomous air systems in a fast-paced start-up.

CAN Bus · Ethernet · Serial Interfaces

6 days ago

Helsing

Systems Engineer - Interceptors

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  • London

Shape the system architecture, requirements and certification evidence for a jet-powered interceptor within an air defence system. Day to day you elicit stakeholder needs, maintain a JAMA requirements baseline, run trade studies and MBSE architecture work, own interface control documents and coordinate safety and certification activities.

JAMA

Last week

Anduril

Technical Operations Engineer, Ghost UK

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  • London
  • Mid-level

Bridges product engineering and deployed operations for the Ghost unmanned air vehicle program, executing flight operations, field maintenance, and customer training. Acts as product SME advising on operational employment, running test and evaluation events, and performing root-cause analyses for air systems in austere, remote environments.

Python · MATLAB · VTOL

Clearance required Last week

Matchtech

Chief Engineer / Technical Lead

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  • London
  • Lead · manages people

Senior technical authority for a flagship aerospace and defence programme, owning the technical strategy, system architecture and engineering governance from concept through testing and certification. Leads a multidisciplinary team spanning systems, software, electronics, mechanical design, integration and test, acting as the primary technical interface with customers, suppliers and investors in a fast-moving start-up.

SC clearance Last month

Shield AI

Senior Forward Deployed Engineer (5961)

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  • London
  • Hybrid
  • Senior

Customer-facing engineering role deploying Shield AI's Hivemind autonomy software on site with customers, roughly 30% travel. You build AI and autonomy applications with the enterprise SDK, provide technical support and training, debug software and API integration issues, and feed customer insight back to product engineering. Requires strong modern C++ skills.

Hivemind · V-BAT · X-BAT +1

Last month
The scene

Hiring in London

London's drone industry is supported by a robust network of companies and institutions. Major tech firms and startups alike are actively hiring for a variety of roles, from drone pilots to software developers. The city's commitment to innovation and technology makes it an attractive location for professionals looking to advance their careers in the drone sector.

The regulatory environment in London is stringent but supportive of responsible drone operations. Companies and professionals must adhere to strict guidelines to ensure public safety and privacy. This regulatory framework helps to foster a reliable and trustworthy drone ecosystem, which is crucial for the industry's growth and development.

FAQs

Common questions

  • Common roles include drone pilots, software engineers, data analysts, and regulatory specialists. The city's diverse tech ecosystem supports a wide range of specialisations.

  • While many roles involve office-based work, especially for software development and data analysis, there is also a significant need for on-site operations, particularly for aerial surveying and maintenance.

  • Key industries include tech startups, large tech firms, construction, urban planning, and security. Research institutions and government agencies also have a strong presence.

  • London has strict regulations to ensure public safety and privacy. Drone operators must be certified and comply with local and national regulations, which can impact operational procedures.

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