The role
Own embedded firmware across the platform — flight controller integration, autopilot customisation, and payload/peripheral drivers — writing code that has to survive vibration, thermal extremes, power transients, and adversarial RF environments, not a lab bench.
Customise and harden the ground control station software stack: mission planning interfaces, telemetry decoding, and the operator-facing tools a crew depends on mid-mission.
Own telemetry protocol design and customisation (MAVLink or equivalent) end to end — link framing, message prioritisation under bandwidth pressure, and graceful degradation when the link is contested or partially jammed.
Build and maintain the security layer across firmware and GCS: secure boot, signed firmware updates, encrypted command and telemetry links, and a disciplined patch process — this platform is a target, and you are the one closing the gaps before an adversary finds them.
Requirements
- Four or more years in embedded firmware development for real-time or safety-relevant systems
- Strong C/C++ on microcontrollers or flight-controller-class hardware (ARM Cortex-M, STM32, Pixhawk/PX4, ArduPilot, or equivalent)
- Hands-on experience with MAVLink or a comparable telemetry/command protocol, including custom message design
- Practical understanding of embedded security — secure boot, firmware signing, encrypted comms, and patching a fielded device without bricking it
- Comfortable working across the full stack: firmware, GCS application software, and the link between them
- Debugging discipline with JTAG/SWD, logic analysers, and field telemetry logs — you find root cause, not just symptoms
Nice to have
- PX4 or ArduPilot internals experience
- QGroundControl or Mission Planner customisation experience
- RTOS experience (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, NuttX, or similar)
- Prior work on platforms operating in denied or degraded RF/GPS environments
Education
Bachelor's in Electronics, Computer Engineering, or Embedded Systems; real-time systems coursework or equivalent field experience strongly preferred
Compensation
Structured to compete with leading defence and aerospace employers.