Drone Jobs in Bristol

• 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

• Bristol
• On-site
• £60,000 – £70,000 pa
• Senior · manages people
• Permanent

Lead software project teams developing flight control and autopilot simulation software, using model-based design in MATLAB and Simulink. Responsibilities span flight dynamics modelling, flight performance studies, requirements definition, code and model review, and testing, while coaching team members and supporting project scoping and estimation.

MATLAB · Simulink

• Salisbury
• Hybrid
• £50,000 – £60,000 pa
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Design and build pixel-perfect, responsive user interfaces for flight control and ground station software, working with React, TypeScript, HTML/CSS and real-time streaming technologies. The role sits in a cross-functional agile team collaborating with UX researchers and designers, contributing to a design system, code reviews and test coverage with Jest, Cypress or RTL.

Figma · Jira · Jest +3

• 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

• Luton
• Hybrid
• Lead
• Permanent

Design and develop microwave and RF circuits operating to and beyond 20 GHz for electronic warfare self-protection systems, covering concept, requirements, detailed design, integration and test. Use EM and circuit simulation tools, hands-on RF test equipment and debug, while providing technical leadership and mentoring within an integrated project team.

Keysight ADS · Microwave Office · CST Microwave Studio +5

• 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

• 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

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

Hands-on role integrating third-party and military-grade sensors into autonomous platforms, building adapters and drivers, and developing sensor/data fusion and geolocation pipelines that turn raw detections into reliable tracks. Ships production C++ and Rust with ROS2, tuning Kalman-filter-based tracking against real and synthetic data, and works daily with AI coding assistants.

ROS2 · Claude Code · GitHub Copilot +6

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

Hands-on quality management role leading day-to-day assurance within a Swindon manufacturing operation, establishing controlled processes that meet AS9100 and ISO 9001. Involves FAIRs and AS9102, nonconformance control, root-cause analysis (5 Whys, Ishikawa, 8D), audits and Kaizen improvement, working with Manufacturing Engineering, Production and Supply Chain.

APQP · PFMEA · MSA +2

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

Build and run a composites manufacturing capability from scratch for drone airframe structures, covering facility layout, equipment commissioning, pre-preg lay-up, tooling, cure, trim and inspection. Recruit and lead the shop-floor team, own quality, safety and production rate, and transfer best practice across European plants.

Autoclave · ERP · MES +3