Drone Jobs

• Oakley
• Lead · manages people

Lead and support a team of 10+ electronic engineers across multiple programmes, owning hardware design from requirements capture to production release. Involves detailed digital, mixed-signal, FPGA and high-reliability design, plus design assurance and verification for safety-critical electronics. Works cross-functionally with systems, software, mechanical and test teams within the BlueBear UAV business.

FPGA · VHDL · Verilog +2

• 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
• Hybrid
• Senior

Hands-on engineering role developing, integrating and flight-testing autonomy software for unmanned and autonomous aircraft, spanning C++/Python development, hardware bring-up, telemetry analysis and live field operations. Works across software, avionics, radios and flight controllers, supporting SIL/HIL/VIL simulation and demonstrations, primarily in the Lviv region with travel across Ukraine.

MAVLink · PX4 · ArduPilot +7

• London
• Hybrid
• Senior

Designs, builds and operates secure software delivery infrastructure for autonomous defence systems, spanning CI/CD pipelines, cloud and on-premises environments, simulation and hardware-in-the-loop labs. Embeds MOD Secure by Design principles, automated security controls and assurance evidence into engineering workflows, working closely with autonomy, software, systems and test engineers across security classifications.

Git · GitLab · GitHub

• Farnborough
• Hybrid · 3 days in office
• £56,025 – £62,250 pa
• Senior

Lead technical work packages on autonomy and autonomous systems for air and maritime defence, developing and reviewing C++ software, algorithms and simulations. Mentor engineers, run integration and trials, and collaborate with customers and multidisciplinary teams from concept to operational demonstration.

• 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

• Bristol
• £70,000 – £90,000 pa
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Develop, integrate and debug embedded software for UAV platforms, including autopilots, autonomy systems and payloads, using C++ and/or Rust on Linux. The role spans software architecture, automated testing and verification, and support for system integration and flight trials alongside international multidisciplinary teams.

Claude

• Basildon
• Hybrid · 3 days in office
• Senior
• Permanent

Defines and refines the strategic software architecture for C-UAS mission systems, spanning SI enterprise architecture, sensor/effector and C2/GUI integration, and technical leadership in bids and external studies. Works alongside solution architects and capability managers, producing white papers to steer stakeholder thinking. Hybrid role based in Basildon within a defence product team.

Visual Studio · DOORS · Cameo +2

• Oxfordshire
• Hybrid · 3 days in office
• £60,000 – £80,000 pa
• Mid-level

Ensures software development and verification processes are followed correctly across safety-critical autonomous systems, auditing processes and maintaining compliance with industry standards. Reviews quality documentation and assurance evidence, manages non-conformances and drives continuous improvement while working closely with engineering teams. Requires a process-assurance focus beyond testing, with knowledge of DO-178C, ISO 26262 or IEC 61508.

• Yeovil
• Hybrid
• Senior
• Permanent

Develops high-integrity real-time mission management software for both legacy manned helicopters and emerging uncrewed autonomous platforms. Works across UML modelling, Ada95/C/C++ implementation, DOORS requirements traceability, and hardware-in-the-loop integration, while navigating DO-178C certification and open architecture standards like FACE/MOSA.

FACE · MOSA · SysML +7

• Bristol

Develops and maintains software running onboard TEKEVER-designed UAVs, covering autopilots, the autonomy stack, payloads and other software-enabled subsystems. Works within a team on embedded C++/Rust code, real-time systems and simulation-based testing, supporting field trials at West Wales airport and international sites.

PX4 · ArduPilot · MAVLink +7

• Witney
• Hybrid · 3 days in office
• £50,000 – £60,000 pa
• Permanent

Defines verification strategies and develops test frameworks for safety-critical embedded software, delivering requirements-based V&V, traceability and certification evidence. Applies automated testing, fuzz testing, fault injection and Monte Carlo simulation, with exposure to SPARK Ada and formal methods in an autonomy-assurance team. Hybrid, minimum three days on-site in Witney.

SPARK Ada

• Wantage
• On-site
• Senior
• Permanent

Lead the design and deployment of autonomous robotic systems, owning software architecture across perception, planning and control. Work spans prototyping, simulation and field testing, integrating with hardware teams while mentoring engineers and shaping technical roadmaps. Requires depth in C++, ROS2, SLAM and real-time systems.

ROS · ROS2 · Gazebo +1

• Cambridge
• Hybrid
• £45,000 – £65,000 pa
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Design and develop embedded firmware for advanced radar and sensing systems used in UAV applications. Work across the full product lifecycle in a collaborative, engineering-led environment using C/C++ on STM32 microcontrollers in bare-metal and RTOS environments. Engage in system-level debugging and contribute to software architecture for next-generation sensing technologies.

• Cambridge
• On-site
• £55,000 – £70,000 pa
• Mid-level

Hands-on optical engineering role designing systems with lasers, lenses and cameras, taking products from concept through verification and troubleshooting to production readiness. Works closely with electronics, software and AI colleagues in a multidisciplinary team, integrating optical components with electromechanical systems, ideally using machine learning for machine vision.

AI