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Kempston West End
3 weeks ago
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UAS Avionics Engineer

Sick of working on “future tech” that never leaves the lab?

You know the drill — endless prototypes, PowerPoints, and promises… but no aircraft actually flying. If you want to build systems that end up in the sky rather than in a drawer, keep reading.

Here’s what’s different:

They’re actually putting unmanned aircraft into the real world. Proper platforms. Proper flight testing. Proper engineering ownership. No corporate barriers, no design-by-committee, no waiting 18 months for approval to change a connector.

The reality:

You’ll take charge of the avionics that make next-generation aircraft work. Control systems, navigation, comms links, power distribution — the lot. You’ll shape architectures, define requirements, and build hardware/software interfaces that survive real flight campaigns, not just simulation.

Expect hands-on integration, hardware-in-the-loop testing, instrumentation setup, telemetry configuration, and supporting test flights on site. You’ll be deep in the engineering — not observing it from a conference room.

You’ll also work directly with suppliers on hardware selection and qualification, design electrical systems and ground control hardware, and help shape the onboard and offboard tools that keep each aircraft safe in the air.

What you get:

Competitive salary

Flexible working options

Pension scheme

A chance to build aircraft that actually fly, not theory that gathers dust

A seat at the table shaping the future of unmanned flight

You’ll love this if you:

Have 3+ years in avionics or UAS systems and want real ownership

Understand GNSS/INS, telemetry, CAN/UART, RF systems, redundancy — and know how these behave when the aircraft isn’t playing nice

Can design PCB/electrical systems and get stuck into embedded software or RTOS-based middleware

Enjoy solving problems that don’t come with a handbook

Want to work in a place where “future air mobility” means flight test days, not buzzwords

Bonus points for:

PX4, ArduPilot, Pixhawk experience

Simulation/HIL work

Understanding BVLOS, safety cases, or regulatory frameworks

Based full-time on-site at a UK aviation test and development facility, with occasional travel to test sites.

Sound like the kind of engineering you actually want to be doing?

Apply now

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