Ground Software Engineer

SR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™; Newbury; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

SR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™ is seeking a Ground Software Engineer in Newbury, UK, to lead the development of our Ground Control Station software. This role involves creating high-performance operator interfaces and integrating real-time data streams for autonomous platforms.

The ideal candidate will have 4–7 years of experience in C++ and solid knowledge of Qt and QML. A hands-on approach and the ability to collaborate closely with other engineers are essential for success in this position.

Qualifications

• 4–7 years of C++ development experience with strong modern C++.
• Solid experience with Qt and QML.
• Background in GCS or operator interface development for UAV or robotics.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, development, and maintenance of the Qt/QML-based GCS application.
• Build high-performance, real-time operator interfaces.
• Integrate telemetry streams and mission planning tools into a single operator environment.

Skills

C++ development (strong modern C++14/17)

Qt and QML (Qt Widgets and Qt Quick)

Real-time data integration

Linux development environments

Git and CI/CD

Job description

Ground Software Engineer | C++ / Qt / QML | GCS & Autonomous Platforms | Berkshire

We build autonomous platforms that operate beyond visual line of sight. Our systems are flying now and we need the software engineer who'll own the ground side of that equation.

We're hiring a Ground Software Engineer to lead the development of our Ground Control Station (GCS) software. This is a hands‑on, ownership-heavy role sitting at the intersection of real‑time UI, telemetry, and control systems working directly alongside flight software, avionics, and hardware engineers.

You'll own the GCS application end-to-end from architecture and backend logic through to the operator-facing interface. You'll be building software that real operators use in real missions, so quality, reliability, and usability all matter.

What You'll Be Doing

• Owning the design, development, and maintenance of our Qt/QML-based GCS application
• Building high-performance, real-time operator interfaces for command, control, and telemetry display
• Integrating telemetry streams, mission planning tools, and payload data into a single coherent operator environment
• Implementing and maintaining communication links between ground systems and uncrewed platforms (MAVLink or proprietary protocols over UDP/TCP/serial)
• Working with geospatial and mapping data to support mission planning and situational awareness
• Interfacing with hardware — USB devices, RF links, sensors — at the application layer
• Collaborating with flight software and avionics engineers to define and maintain interface standards
• Contributing to software architecture, code reviews, and CI/CD pipeline improvement

What We're Looking For

• 4–7 years of C++ development experience — strong, modern C++ (C++14/17)
• Solid Qt and QML experience — both Qt Widgets and Qt Quick considered
• Background in GCS, HMI, or operator interface development for UAV, UAS, robotics, or autonomous platforms
• Experience integrating real-time data streams (telemetry, sensor feeds, video) into UI applications
• Familiarity with communication protocols — MAVLink, UDP/TCP, serial, DDS or similar
• Comfortable with Linux development environments
• Git and CI/CD proficiency expected

Nice to Have

• Experience with QGroundControl, Mission Planner, or similar existing GCS platforms
• Exposure to PX4, ArduPilot, or other autopilot stacks
• GIS or mapping library experience (Cesium, OpenSceneGraph, Marble or similar)
• BVLOS operations context
• Python scripting for tooling or automation
• Awareness of safety-conscious software practices in aerospace or defence