RF Software Engineer

Pace XL Ltd.; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Private medical & dental

Cycle to work scheme

On-site catering

Job summary

Cambridge Aerospace in Cambridge, United Kingdom is seeking a skilled Software Engineer with expertise in embedded UAV software and autopilot simulation. You will contribute across the full software lifecycle and set up SIL/HITL testing environments to ensure reliability and safety.

You will work with cross-disciplinary teams to deploy software on onboard computers, manage Git workflows, and drive optimization. This role emphasizes rigorous testing and model-based approaches.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python, with experience in real-time and embedded systems.
• Understanding of radar fundamentals (range-Doppler, pulse-Doppler, detection).
• Experience with algorithm development and implementation.
• Real-time systems and performance optimisation.
• Debugging and problem-solving skills.
• Version control (Git) proficiency.
• MATLAB or Python for prototyping/analysis.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, and integrate embedded software for UAV systems.
• Set up, maintain, and improve SIL and HITL environments for testing and validation.
• Deploy and optimise software on onboard computers.
• Manage source code and workflows using GitHub (CI/CD, branching, reviews, issue tracking).
• Collaborate with hardware, perception, and flight test teams to ensure smooth integration and debugging.
• Contribute to performance optimisation, safety improvements, and documentation.

Skills

C++

Python

Real-time systems

Debugging

Git proficiency

Prototyping (MATLAB)

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/Robotics/EE

Tools

Git

MATLAB

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a skilled Software Engineer with experience in embedded systems, autopilot development, and UAV simulation to join our team. The ideal candidate will play a key role in the full software lifecycle, from algorithm development to deployment. You will also set up and maintain Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) test environments to ensure reliability, safety, and robustness of our systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, and integrate embedded software for UAV systems
• Set up, maintain, and improve SIL and HITL environments for testing and validation
• Deploy and optimise software on onboard computers
• Manage source code and workflows using GitHub (CI/CD, branching, reviews, issue tracking)
• Collaborate with hardware, perception, and flight test teams to ensure smooth integration and debugging
• Contribute to performance optimisation, safety improvements, and documentation

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python, with experience in real-time and embedded systems
• Understanding of radar fundamentals (range-Doppler, pulse-Doppler, detection)
• Experience with algorithm development and implementation
• Real-time systems and performance optimisation
• Debugging and problem-solving skills
• Version control (Git) proficiency
• MATLAB or Python for prototyping/analysis

Preferred Qualifications/Experience

• Experience in fast-paced R&D or startup environments, with rapid prototype iteration times
• CI/CD pipeline experience
• SIMD/parallel processing optimisation (NEON, AVX, CUDA)
• Experience with bare-metal, RTOS (ie NuttX, ThreadX, RTIC, Zephyr, FreeRTOS, VxWorks, INTEGRITY), and embedded Linux
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing experience
• Simulink or model-based design tools
• Experience with STM32, Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+, etc
• Experience developing for safety-critical systems, i.e., avionics, medical or automotive

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation and stock options
• Private Medical & Dental
• Cycle to work scheme
• Lunchtime catering on site

About Us

The mission of Cambridge Aerospace is to eliminate the risk of existential war in Europe. That risk comes from the air – low-cost drones and cruise missiles now manufactured in colossal volumes by our adversaries, ballistic missiles capable of ending the world as we know it, and a new generation of hypersonic weapons that evade every existing defence.

We’re building low-cost interceptors that defeat these threats, and the surveillance systems to detect and target them – at a cost taxpayers can afford, at the pace the threat demands, and with sovereign supply chains that assure delivery.

We have immense backing from the world’s best venture funds. We’re one of the fastest growing defence technology companies in history. And we’re hiring the best engineers to prosecute the mission.

If you are in the top 1%, willing to work harder than you ever have, build technology better than anyone else, and contribute to the defining challenge of our time, now is the time to join us.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.