Software Engineer - UAVs

Salary: £40,000 - 50,000 per year

Requirements

• We require at least 2 years of professional experience writing software in C++, Python, Dart, or a similar language; our primary stack is Dart/Flutter, with regular use of C++ and Python
• We require clear communication skills and the ability to explain technical reasoning to both technical and non-technical colleagues
• We require familiarity with Git
• We require comfort working in the UK defence sector
• We require eligibility for UK SC Clearance, including meeting baseline eligibility criteria and a minimum of 5 years UK residency
• We require a willingness to learn and improve
• Experience in aerospace, defence, or similarly regulated environments is desirable
• Exposure to embedded systems or single-board computers is desirable
• Experience with IP and/or RF-based communication is desirable
• Understanding of drone systems, flight controllers, or autopilot software such as ArduPilot and MAVLink is desirable
• Interest in working with physical hardware is desirable

Responsibilities

• We design, build, and ship software across our stack, from operator-facing ground control applications to onboard aircraft software and supporting tools
• We work toward owning features end-to-end, from initial design and prototyping through release, deployment, and ongoing operational support
• We work closely with hardware, flight test, and operations colleagues to translate real-world needs into working software
• We integrate with drone autopilots, sensors, and communication systems, including ArduPilot, MAVLink, and radio links
• We write clean, maintainable code and contribute to code review, testing, and continuous improvement of our engineering practices
• We investigate and resolve issues from the field, reproducing problems in simulators and on real aircraft
• We build and maintain internal tooling, simulation environments, and CI infrastructure
• As we grow, we contribute to technical decisions, tooling choices, and engineering standards

Technologies

• Dart
• Embedded
• Flutter
• Git
• Hardware
• Support
• Python
• Security
• C++

More

We are Aether Aerospace, a South Wales-based drone development and service delivery company operating primarily in the defence and security sectors. We design, build, test, and operate uncrewed aerial systems for demanding customers, supporting threat simulation, pilot training, logistics delivery, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. We are a small, growing team where people take genuine ownership of their work and help shape how things are done. This is primarily a desk-based role with travel expected for customer demonstrations, field trials, and testing, and we encourage being in the office as much as possible while offering flexibility to work remotely when the work allows. We offer a salary of £40,000-£50,000, a Long-Term Incentive Plan with profit share allocation tied to company performance, 26 days annual leave plus UK bank holidays, employer pension contributions, on-site fitness facilities including a gym and climbing wall, and the opportunity to gain drone pilot qualifications. We also provide casual dress, free parking, on-site gym access, on-site parking, and profit sharing, and the role is full-time, permanent, and based in person.

last updated 21 week of 2026