Drone Jobs

• Bedford
• Lead · manages people

Lead the electronics design and prototyping department for a UAV business, guiding a team of 10+ electronic engineers across multiple programmes. Own full hardware design lifecycles from requirements capture to production release, covering digital, mixed-signal, FPGA and high-reliability systems, with expert review of schematics, PCB layouts and design documentation. Work cross-functionally with systems, software, mechanical and test teams, and support bids and cost estimation.

FPGA · PCB

• London
• Senior

Owns the development and maturation of security features across AI systems, command and control platforms, aerospace vehicles and sensors. Conducts architecture reviews, source code analysis, configuration auditing and adversarial testing, and builds tooling while collaborating with engineering, manufacturing and operations teams to embed resilience.

Linux · Lattice OS · TEMPEST +7

• London
• Senior

Owns the development and maturation of security features across AI systems, command and control platforms, aerospace vehicles and sensors. Conducts architecture reviews, source code analysis, configuration auditing and adversarial testing, and builds tooling while collaborating with engineering, manufacturing and operations teams to harden products.

Linux · TEMPEST · Inter-Domain Gateways +3

• London
• Hybrid
• Senior

Develops and deploys visual-inertial odometry, visual SLAM and vision-based navigation for autonomous aircraft in GNSS-denied environments. Takes perception algorithms from prototype through embedded C++ implementation, field testing and flight validation, optimising for Jetson/Orin platforms. Distinctly focused on robotics perception and state estimation rather than general AI/ML.

NVIDIA Jetson · NVIDIA Orin · GStreamer +7

• London
• Hybrid
• Senior

Integrates autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, owning pre-flight build, configuration and validation across onboard compute, sensors and control interfaces. Supports live flight tests with travel around 30-40% of the year, debugging embedded and real-time systems in lab and field, and analysing flight data with autonomy and GNC teams.

ROS · DDS · Linux +5

• Edinburgh
• Hybrid
• Lead
• Permanent

Designs, develops and verifies navigation systems and algorithms for airborne, maritime and land platforms, covering sensor fusion, state estimation and PNT solutions for contested environments. Works across the full engineering lifecycle, from concept and modelling to integration, verification and customer support, using MATLAB/Simulink and Kalman filtering techniques within a multidisciplinary, multi-national team.

MATLAB · Simulink · GNSS +7

• Portsmouth
• €55,000 – €65,000 pa
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Lead the design and development of analogue and digital electronic circuits, PCB layouts and power distribution units for UAV platforms, taking ownership of electronics integration with mechanical, software and firmware systems. As the first hire for a growing electronics team, you will build and test prototypes and support designs through to manufacture.

CAN · SPI · I2C +4

• Salisbury
• On-site
• £40,000 – £50,000 pa
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Design, develop, integrate and verify electronic hardware and systems for unmanned aerial vehicles, covering analogue, digital and mixed-signal circuitry, PCB/PCBA design, interfaces, sensors and test equipment across the full engineering lifecycle. Works alongside Systems, Software, Air Vehicle, Avionics, Test and Manufacturing teams, with emphasis on DfM, DfA, DfT and qualification for production.

UAV · Avionics · Sensors +1

• Bristol
• Mid-level

Lead quality assurance and quality management across defence and aerospace projects, acting as the customer-facing quality focal point. Own the Project Quality Management Plan, requirements traceability, configuration and change control, supplier quality, nonconformance and CAPA, and support design reviews and verification activities alongside project, engineering and supply chain teams.

AS9100 · ISO 9001 · AQAP 2105 +2

• Luton
• Hybrid
• Lead · manages people
• Permanent

Design and deliver complex FPGA/Firmware for self-protection systems on fast jet, UAV, land and naval platforms, covering requirements capture, VHDL/Verilog design, test and integration with PCB designers. Lead and Principal engineers also support and guide several engineers, enhance processes across UK-wide firmware teams, and may travel for technical reviews. Work uses Xilinx, Intel and Microsemi architectures, high-speed interfaces and DO-254-style structured design.

Xilinx · Intel (Altera) · Microsemi (Actel) +6

• Oakland, United States
• £120,000 – £200,000 pa
• Senior

Designs and develops electronics hardware and embedded systems across the full product lifecycle for robotic UAS platforms operating in real-world environments. Involves analogue and digital circuit design, PCB layout and schematic capture in Altium, plus prototyping, testing and debugging with oscilloscopes and logic analysers. Works on cutting-edge robotics, UAV, UGV and space technologies.

Altium Designer · STM32 · ARM Cortex +7

• Cambridge
• On-site
• £60,000 – £90,000 pa
• Senior

Lead applied RF engineering work, advancing signal processing pipelines and developing next-generation prototype technologies for defence and security applications. Day-to-day involves Python data analysis and prototyping (NumPy, SciPy, PyTorch), digital signal processing, SDR frameworks and analysis of wireless protocols. Fully on-site near the Cambridgeshire/Essex border, with security clearance required.

NumPy · SciPy · PyTorch +7

• Portland

Deliver sUAS and First Person View (FPV) technical training to a UK Military customer, including lesson writing and instruction aligned to DSAT methodology. Requires deep hands-on knowledge of building, repairing and operating a wide range of sUAS/FPV systems, with flexible or shift work at times to support customer training needs.

GECO

• Bristol
• Hybrid · 3 days in office

Works at the intersection of engineering and procurement, embedded in the product development lifecycle from concept to production. Provides supply chain input into component and technology selection across electronics, mechanical, materials, powertrain and vision systems, challenging design decisions on cost, availability, capacity and supplier risk. Supports design reviews, technical reviews and new product introduction, establishing early supplier engagement.

• London
• Hybrid
• Senior

Integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, owning build, configuration and validation of flight-ready systems across onboard compute, sensors and control interfaces. Support live flight tests with travel around 30-40% of the year, debugging embedded and autonomy stacks in lab and field, capturing and analysing flight data, and working with autonomy, GNC and test teams.

ROS · DDS · Hivemind +5