Drone Jobs

• Nottingham
• Lead

Lead UAV survey operations across diverse UK environments, planning and executing drone flights to capture high-resolution spatial data. Oversee terrestrial survey activities including laser scanning, process photogrammetry and point clouds, and provide technical leadership, mentoring and QA/QC compliance with CAA, Network Rail and RICS standards.

UAV · GNSS · CAD +1

• Bristol
• Hybrid · 3 days in office
• £50,000 – £80,000 pa
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Develops onboard software for uncrewed aerial systems, spanning autopilots, autonomy, payloads and mission-critical subsystems. Works on existing aircraft and clean-sheet designs, taking code from concept and SIL/HIL simulation through to real-world flight testing, with C++ and/or Rust in embedded and real-time environments.

PX4 · ArduPilot · MAVLink +6

• Hereford
• £40,000 – £55,000 pa
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Hands-on mechanical design role developing launch systems for fixed-wing UAVs, taking concepts from 3D models and drawings through to manufacture, assembly and testing. Working in a small engineering team, you'll use SolidWorks to design components and assemblies, produce BOMs and technical documentation, and incorporate pneumatic components where needed.

SolidWorks

• 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.

• Herefordshire
• £65,000 – £85,000 pa
• Senior
• Permanent

Contribute across the full design lifecycle of specialist UAV launch equipment, developing mechanical concepts and detailed designs in SolidWorks. Translate technical requirements into workable solutions, evaluate pneumatic components, and support prototype assembly and testing while working closely with engineering and manufacturing colleagues.

SolidWorks

• 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

• London
• Mid-level

Bridges product engineering and deployed operations for the Altius program, executing flight operations, field maintenance and customer training. Deploys to austere locations to troubleshoot hardware, software and networking issues, run root-cause analyses and shape long-term sustainment of aerial systems.

Linux · Unix · JIRA +2

• Ashford
• Permanent

Build, test, repair and disassemble unmanned aerial and surface target systems, including fibreglass repairs, engine tuning, fault diagnosis and payload preparation, while supporting launcher operations and target recovery. Based in Ashford but involving extensive international travel, often at short notice, to deliver training support for defence forces worldwide.

Banshee Target

• Ashford
• Hybrid
• Director · manages people
• Permanent

Leads the QinetiQ Target Systems UK business, owning operational performance, financial delivery and strategic growth for aerial targets. Develops product strategies and a UK Centre of Excellence for manufacture and assembly, heading a cross-functional matrix team across engineering and operations. Works within the wider Air Leadership Team and interfaces with international sectors to drive global sales.

• Hampshire
• Senior
• Permanent

Hands-on role assembling airframe components, sub-assemblies and fuel systems from build packs, testing sub-systems, and installing avionics onto unmanned aerial vehicles. Supports aircraft-level acceptance testing and on-site flight testing across the UK, maintaining digital build logs and feeding improvements back to manufacturing and engineering teams.

Microsoft Office · MCAD · ECAD

• Bristol
• Hybrid · 3 days in office
• Mid-level

Acts as the on-site company representative coordinating UAS flight operations with customers and external agencies such as Border Force and Coast Guard. Tasks flight crews, runs daily and weekly briefings, books airspace, disseminates flight plans, and handles mission evidence and imagery feeds into the Joint Control Room.

Tekever Systems

• Basildon
• Hybrid
• Permanent

Systems Engineers at all levels join a multidisciplinary team delivering land-based cyber and electromagnetic capabilities, including electronic warfare, C-UAS and counter-IED systems. The role spans the full lifecycle from requirements and architecture through integration, verification and in-service support, working with customers and specialists in safety, security and reliability.

STICS · Open CPI

• Bristol
• Hybrid · 3 days in office
• Mid-level · manages people

Lead the development and lifecycle management of S1000D-compliant technical publications for Unmanned Air System programmes within an Integrated Logistics Support capability. Own the CSDB, data module structures and DMRL, liaise with customers and regulators on airworthiness requirements, and manage a technical authoring team through engineering change and configuration control.

CSDB · S1000D · IETP

• 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

• 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