Autonomous System Engineer (UAV)

TL;DR

Autonomous System Engineer (UAV): Developing algorithms and software stacks for unmanned aerial vehicles with an accent on perception, navigation, and autonomous mission execution. Focus on bridging high-level mission planning with low-level flight control, sensor fusion, and system-level integration for high-performance defense systems.

Location: Must be based in Swindon, UK. Must be eligible for UK Security Clearance.

Company

hirify.global is a defense technology company designing and manufacturing high-performance, software-defined unmanned vehicles for NATO and its allies.

What you will do

• Define system-level requirements and manage technical budgets for autonomous UAV platforms.
• Design and implement algorithms for path planning, obstacle avoidance, SLAM, and tracking.
• Integrate and filter data from multiple sensors including LiDAR, IMU, GPS, and cameras.
• Develop finite state machines or behavior trees for complex mission sequencing.
• Lead field testing of autonomous behaviors and analyze flight logs to tune performance.
• Prepare technical documentation for algorithms, testing, and system architecture.

Requirements

• Must be eligible for UK Security Clearance.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, or Software Engineering.
• Deep understanding of UAV flight dynamics, aerodynamics, and coordinate systems.
• Proven experience with PX4 or ArduPilot flight stacks and MAVLink/MAVSDK.
• Hands-on experience with ROS2 for high-level mission planning and offboard control.
• Proficiency in Python for algorithm prototyping and flight log analysis.

Nice to have

• Experience with NVIDIA Jetson platforms.
• Proficiency in C++ for algorithm development.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink and Model-Based Design.
• Simulation skills in Gazebo, jMAVSim, or AirSim.
• Expertise in GPS-denied navigation, VIO, or LiDAR-based SLAM.