UAV Software and Controls Engineer

SE3 Labs; München; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Real Ownership: Equity options

Modern toolset

Flat hierarchy

Paid days off

Wellbeing access

Team offsites

Mentorship

Job summary

SE3 Labs is seeking a Drone Software and Controls Engineer to lead the full-stack avionics development for our UAV fleet. From component selection and firmware design to full system integration and GCS development, you will be the brain behind the fleet.

You will bridge software and hardware, mastering integration and bringing the final product to life, with emphasis on autonomy and robust testing in real-world environments.

Qualifications

• You hold a B.Sc. or higher in Aerospace Engineering or a related discipline.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in avionics development.
• Comfortable with lab equipment (multimeters, scopes, spectrum analyzers, near-field probes).
• Deep understanding of Autonomy principles and UAV fleet development.
• Experience with PX4 and ArduPilot; know where to go in the code to get what you need.
• Familiar with QGC and how to customise it.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop and environmental testing.
• Fluent in English; German is a strong plus.
• Structured, fast-moving, and mission-driven; iterate until it works.

Responsibilities

• Define and develop the full-stack avionics architecture and plan for integration across the UAV fleet.
• Prototype, test, and iterate hardware and software, in simulation and in flight.
• Analyse and troubleshoot information flow across UAVs, GCS, and payloads.
• Document requirements, trade-offs, test results, and tuning procedures.

Skills

Avionics development

Autonomy principles

UAV fleet software

Firmware design

Education

B.Sc. or higher in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline

Tools

PX4

ArduPilot

QGC

Job description

Join SE3 Labs as UAV Software and Controls Engineer

Lead the autonomy stack of our systems. Starting from custom firmware all the way to GCS plugins.

About SE3

SE3 Labs is building Spatial AI by combining 3D computer vision with large language models (LLMs). We believe the ability to reason about and act within physical space is foundational to unlocking the next generation of automation, from construction to smart infrastructure, and ultimately, defence.

Now, we’re building the physical platform to bring Spatial AI to life. That means high-performance, real-world robotic systems (starting with UAVs), and we’re looking for a skilled, hands-on engineer who’s ready to bring these machines into the real world.

About The Role

As Drone Software and Controls Engineer, you will be working on the full-stack avionics development of our UAV fleet. From selecting the components to tuning and configuring the UAV, all the way to GCS development and autonomy orchestration. You will be the brain behind the fleet.

You will be in the middle of the software and hardware team, mastering the integration of the two fields and bringing the final product to life.

What You’ll Work On

• Architecture & Plan: Define and develop schematics for communication and integration of the software stack across all our systems. How does UAV A get a position from UGV B? How does Payload 1 inform UAV C that it needs to land?
• Prototype & Iterate: Build, rework, and test hardware with speed and precision, both in simulation and in flight. Develop better simulations and tools for faster iteration.
• Optimize & Troubleshoot: Analyse the full flow of information via simulation and real-world testing, including UAV to UAV, UAV to GCS or UAV to payload.
• Document with Purpose: Keep clear records of requirements, tradeoffs, test results, tuning procedures, and implementation rationale
• Validate in the Loop: Support hardware-in-the-loop and environmental validation workflows to ensure rugged, reliable implementations.

Your Profile

• You hold a B.Sc. or higher in Aerospace Engineering or a related discipline
• You bring 3+ years of hands-on experience in avionics development, from component selection and firmware design to full system integration
• You’re confident with lab equipment (multimeters, scopes, spectrum analyzers, near-field probes) and use them to diagnose and debug with purpose
• You have a deep understanding of Autonomy principles and know how to develop and deal with low level issues in a UAV fleet.
• You’ve worked with PX4 and ArduPilot and know where to go in the code to get what you need.
• You’re experienced with QGC and know how to customise it to your will.
• You’re familiar with hardware-in-the-loop and environmental testing, and understand how designs fail in the wild
• You speak fluent English; German is a strong plus
• Most importantly, you’re structured, fast-moving, and mission-driven. You don’t wait for perfection. You iterate until it works. You love building things that last and love making them fly majestically..

Especially Valued Bonus Skills

• Architecture and software development skills.
• ArduPilot, PX4, or QGC open source contributor.
• Flying License A1-A3
• Experience with multi-vehicle coordination.

Perks & Benefits

• Real Ownership: Get equity early, real stock options to participate directly in SE3’s growth
• Work Environment to Excel at: Find a high-quality and modern toolset, flat hierarchy and a skilled, driven team which will push the limits together with you
• 31 Paid Days Off: 30 vacation days plus your birthday off
• Well-being Access: Free membership to gyms, yoga, and wellness through EGYM Wellpass
• Team Offsites: We go on 2 company retreats per year, our last ones were in Italy and Greece
• Mentorship: Work closely with experienced engineers and get paired with a professional mentor to support your growth

Our Process

• Intro Call (30 min): Let’s get to know each other
• Technical Interview (45 min): (We will deep diver into your experience and the role)
• Coding Interview(1 hr): (with our external coding partners)
• One site trial/case (1.5h): let’s build and test a system together with our hardware team
• Team Dinner / Lunch: Meet the team and see whether it is a strong fit on both sides.