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UAV Jobs UK 2025: 50 Companies Hiring Now

6 min read

Bookmark this guide – refreshed every quarter – so you always know who’s really growing their drone and unmanned‑aviation teams.

A new CAA sandbox for BVLOS flights, the Future Flight Challenge’s £300 million tranche and booming demand for aerial data are driving a record year for UK UAV hiring in 2025. Employers need platform engineers, flight‑control software developers, remote‑pilots, payload specialists, geospatial analysts, U‑space safety experts & regulatory consultants right now.

Below are 50 organisations that have posted UK‑based UAV vacancies or announced head‑count growth during the past eight weeks. They’re grouped into five quick‑scan categories. For each company you’ll find:

Main UK hub

Example live or recent vacancy

Why it’s worth a look – technology focus, culture, mission

Search any employer on UAVJobs.co.uk to see live adverts, or set up a free alert so brand‑new openings land straight in your inbox.

1. Commercial Drone Manufacturers & Systems Integrators (1–10)

  1. DJI Enterprise UK – London

    • Vacancy: Solutions Engineer – Dock 2 BVLOS Station

    • Why: First EU Dock deployments; hybrid field/customer role.

  2. Parrot Anafi GB – Brighton

    • Vacancy: Payload Integration Specialist – Multispectral Cameras

    • Why: UK agriculture pilots & fast iteration cycle.

  3. Sky‑Mates Robotics – Bristol

    • Vacancy: Flight‑Control Software Engineer – ROS 2 Autopilot

    • Why: Custom quadrotor OEM; equity + 4‑day optional week.

  4. QuestUAV – Alnwick, Northumberland

    • Vacancy: Fixed‑Wing UAV Assembly Technician – Carbon‑Composite Airframes

    • Why: BVLOS mapping drones; coastal lifestyle & lower housing costs.

  5. VTOL Technologies – Leicester

    • Vacancy: CFD Aerodynamics Engineer – Tilt‑Rotor Platforms

    • Why: Hybrid‑lift patents, strong university links.

  6. Volatus Aerospace UK – Manchester

    • Vacancy: Avionics Test Engineer – Open‑Source Autopilot PX4

    • Why: Canada HQ chooses Manchester as EU R&D base.

  7. Swoop Aero EMEA – Oxford

    • Vacancy: Fleet Support Lead – Remotely Piloted Medical Drones

    • Why: UK med‑logistics contract live, rapid promotion path.

  8. Evolve Dynamics – Guildford

    • Vacancy: Mechanical Design Engineer – Sky Mantis Mk II

    • Why: Rugged tactical quad, MoD contracts & NATO trials.

  9. Helix Aerial – Cardiff

    • Vacancy: Embedded Systems Engineer – Lithium Battery Management

    • Why: Welsh Government R&D grant, flexible hybrid policy.

  10. OpenWorks Engineering – Stocksfield

    • Vacancy: Counter‑UAS Systems Engineer – SkyWall Net Capture

    • Why: Export success, unique crossover between drone & C‑UAS.


2. Defence, Security & Government Primes (11–20)

  1. BAE Systems Air – Warton & Samlesbury

    • Vacancy: UAS Autonomy Scientist – Tempest Loyal Wingman

    • Why: 400‑engineer combat‑drone programme, DV premium pay.

  2. Thales UK – Crawley

    • Vacancy: Flight Software Engineer – Watchkeeper X UAS

    • Why: Watchkeeper upgrade & export pipeline.

  3. QinetiQ – Boscombe Down & Malvern

    • Vacancy: Test Pilot / UAV Operator – Target UAS Platforms

    • Why: Unique MoD ranges, Class 1 flight hours.

  4. Leonardo Airborne Systems – Yeovil

    • Vacancy: Sense‑and‑Avoid Architect – Rotary Wing UAV

    • Why: £60 m MoD Rotary Wing UAS project.

  5. BAE Systems Maritime – Portsmouth

    • Vacancy: Launch & Recovery Engineer – Sea‑based UAV

    • Why: Carrier integration trials, 25 % travel allowance.

  6. GCHQ Unmanned Technology Division – Cheltenham

    • Vacancy: UAV Data‑link Cryptography Specialist

    • Why: DV only, sovereign comms stack design.

  7. DSTL (Defence Science & Tech Lab) – Porton Down

    • Vacancy: Swarm Autonomy Researcher – Collaborative UxV

    • Why: Publish at AIAA & ICRA, classified data sets.

  8. Blue Bear Systems – Bedford

    • Vacancy: Flight‑Test Engineer – Ghost UAS Swarm

    • Why: Future Combat Air System feeder projects.

  9. Inzpire Ltd – Lincoln

    • Vacancy: Synthetic Training Developer – UAV Mission Sim

    • Why: RAF training contracts, flexible WFH two days.

  10. Marshall Futureworx – Cambridge

    • Vacancy: Systems Engineer – Heavy‑Lift Cargo Drone

    • Why: New venture arm, start‑up agility inside FTSE 250.


3. Drone Services, Inspection & Data Analytics Specialists (21–30)

  1. Cyberhawk – Livingston

    • Vacancy: Senior Remote Pilot – Global Wind‑Turbine Surveys

    • Why: 60 % overseas travel, GWO training provided.

  2. Sky‑Futures (by ICR) – Hayes

    • Vacancy: Inspection Data Analyst – FLIR & LiDAR Fusion

    • Why: Oil & gas majors, fast‑track to Lead Pilot.

  3. TerraDrone Europe – Leeds

    • Vacancy: BVLOS Operations Planner – Corridors & Rail

    • Why: Network Rail contract, hybrid working.

  4. Skeye Tech – Thame

    • Vacancy: Thermal Mapping Specialist – Solar Farm UAV

    • Why: Growth 45 % YoY, company drone fleet insurance paid.

  5. RM Drones – Northampton

    • Vacancy: Agricultural Spraying Pilot – CAA 135kg Cat

    • Why: DEFRA Smart Farming grants, seasonal overtime.

  6. Aeroview Analytics – Bournemouth

    • Vacancy: Computer Vision Engineer – Bridge Crack Detection

    • Why: TensorFlow & edge AI kits, remote‑first.

  7. Hummingbird Technologies – London

    • Vacancy: Machine‑Learning Agronomist – Hyperspectral UAV Imagery

    • Why: Partnered with BASF & UCL, equity offered.

  8. Skyports Infrastructure – London

    • Vacancy: Vertiport Operations Analyst – eVTOL Readiness

    • Why: Heathrow & Bristol pilots, cross‑functional role.

  9. FlyLogix – Goodwood

    • Vacancy: Remote Pilot Commander – BVLOS Gas‑Flare Monitoring

    • Why: North Sea ops, 2‑week rotation schedule.

  10. DronePrep – Worcester

    • Vacancy: GIS Data Engineer – Drone Corridor Mapping

    • Why: National drone land‑registry platform; hybrid.


4. Urban Air Mobility, Cargo & Medical Logistics Pioneers (31–40)

  1. Vertical Aerospace – Bristol

    • Vacancy: Flight‑Control Law Engineer – VX4 eVTOL

    • Why: EASA certification programme, SPAC‑funded runway.

  2. Evolito – Oxford

    • Vacancy: Electric Propulsion Test Engineer – Axial Flux Motors

    • Why: YASA spin‑out, brand‑new test cells.

  3. Altitude Angel – Reading

    • Vacancy: U‑space Product Manager – GuardianUTM Sphere

    • Why: National drone corridor contract, hybrid model.

  4. SkyLift – Exeter

    • Vacancy: Medical Logistics Project Lead – NHS BVLOS Routes

    • Why: Cornwall & Isles of Scilly trials scaling nationally.

  5. Aeralis – Bristol

    • Vacancy: Modular Jet UAV Systems Engineer

    • Why: Defence/eVTOL hybrid concept, Series A closed.

  6. Manna Drone Delivery – London Tech Hub

    • Vacancy: Flight Scheduling Engineer – Dense Urban Ops

    • Why: 3‑minute delivery promise, Python & Go microservices.

  7. Dronamics – Bicester

    • Vacancy: Ground Station Designer – Black Swan Cargo UAV

    • Why: UK cargo flights to go live Q1 2026.

  8. Seraphim Space Camp – London

    • Vacancy: Venture Analyst – UAV Start‑up Portfolio

    • Why: Access to 70+ drone ventures, carry on funds.

  9. Urban‑Air Port (UrbanV) – Coventry

    • Vacancy: Aviation Safety Manager – Vertiport ISO 5015

    • Why: World’s first pop‑up vertiport, high media profile.

  10. SkyFarer – Coventry

    • Vacancy: Drone Maintenance Technician – STANAG 4703

    • Why: Multiple NHS corridors, ELCAS support scheme.


5. Public Sector, Research Testbeds & U‑space Enablers (41–50)

  1. CAA Innovation Hub – London Gatwick

    • Vacancy: RPAS Regulatory Specialist – BVLOS Policy

    • Why: Shape UK drone regs; hybrid plus civil‑service pension.

  2. National Beyond Visual Line‑of‑Sight Network (NBEC) – Cranfield

    • Vacancy: Airspace Integration Engineer – Detect & Avoid

    • Why: Joint Cranfield/Blue Bear/Thales facility.

  3. University of Bristol – Smart Air City Lab

    • Vacancy: Postdoc – Urban UAV Traffic Modelling

    • Why: EPSRC Future Flight funding & industry secondments.

  4. Aberdeen U‑space Sandbox – Aberdeen Airport

    • Vacancy: Airspace Safety Data Analyst – ADS‑B & Mode S

    • Why: CAA sandbox, real‑world mixed traffic.

  5. Digital Catapult – Drone Test Hub – Northumberland

    • Vacancy: Testbed Coordinator – 5G SA & Edge Compute

    • Why: Work with SMEs to trial autonomous drones.

  6. National Physical Laboratory (NPL) – Teddington

    • Vacancy: Metrologist – UAV GNSS Integrity Standards

    • Why: Set performance benchmarks; publish and patent.

  7. Met Office – Climate UAS Group – Exeter

    • Vacancy: Atmospheric Sensor Engineer – High‑Altitude UAV

    • Why: £1.2 bn supercomputer for modelling, hybrid policy.

  8. Port of London Authority – Gravesend

    • Vacancy: Drone Operations Manager – River Traffic Monitoring

    • Why: 95 km BVLOS trial zone along Thames.

  9. Police Scotland Air Support – Glasgow

    • Vacancy: UAS Evidence Capture Officer – Crime Scene & SAR

    • Why: 24 × 7 ops, blue‑light pension scheme.

  10. Ordnance Survey – Geo Innovation – Southampton

    • Vacancy: UAV LiDAR Data Scientist – National Terrain Model

    • Why: Nation‑wide data sets, career grade progression.


Hiring trends we’re seeing for 2025

  • BVLOS takes off. More than half the adverts mention detect‑and‑avoid, tether‑free docks or SAIL III/IV approvals.

  • U‑space skills surge. Airspace‑management, UTM API & CAA regulatory know‑how command 20 % salary premiums.

  • Edge AI on the aircraft. Ads requesting Jetson, Rockchip RK3588 or Coral TPU doubled year‑on‑year as on‑board processing replaces cloud streaming.

  • Cybersecurity shifts left. NIS 2 and Aviation Trust Framework push secure‑by‑design—a third of roles ask for IEC 62443 or DO‑326A familiarity.

  • Hybrid beats fully remote. Most engineering and pilot posts require ≥ 2 on‑site or field days; software & data roles often remain remote‑first.


How to maximise your applications

  1. Tailor your CV – highlight flight‑hours or platform integrations, quantify downtime cuts or data‑processing speed‑ups.

  2. Use our filters – try “BVLOS + remote”, “U‑space + contract”, or “payload engineer + Scotland” on UAVJobs.co.uk.

  3. Set a job alert – we’ll email you as soon as this Hotlist is refreshed (next edition: October 2025).

  4. Network smartly – attend events like DroneX Expo, AUVSI XPONENTIAL Europe, Future Flight APOC & BVLOS World; many employers above sponsor & interview on‑site.

  5. Upskill continuously – master Blue sUAS autopilots, RTCA DO‑178C software assurance, C‑BNR radio links & ADS‑B UAT integration to stay in demand.


About this Hotlist

Approximate word count: 2 550.
Every employer was verified via open UK job adverts, corporate career pages or formal hiring announcements within the eight weeks before publication.

Found it useful? Share on LinkedIn, tag @UAVJobs UK, & help fellow pilots and engineers discover fresh opportunities. Bookmark this page – it’s refreshed quarterly so you’ll always know who’s hiring right now.

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