UAS Software & Avionics Engineer - Ardupilot

Future Talent Group; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Future Talent Group in the UK is seeking an UAS Software & Avionics Integration Engineer in Aylesbury. This hands-on role blends software with hardware, rewriting ArduPilot code and integrating payloads, sensors, and ground control systems to deliver mission-ready aircraft.

You will work with flight controllers, companion computers, GNSS, and telemetry, testing on benches and in flight, analyzing logs to drive performance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience developing and customizing ArduPilot firmware.
• Strong C++ and Python programming skills.
• Hands-on with MAVLink, Mission Planner and QGroundControl.
• Experience in UAS avionics integration and flight testing.

Responsibilities

• Develop and modify ArduPilot source code to add features and hardware support.
• Integrate flight controllers, companion computers, sensors, datalinks and payloads.
• Build interfaces across MAVLink, serial, CAN, Ethernet, SPI and I2C.
• Conduct system integration, troubleshooting, ground and flight tests.
• Analyze flight logs and telemetry to drive performance improvements.

Skills

C++

Python

Embedded systems

Flight control

System debugging

MAVLink

Tools

ArduPilot firmware

Mission Planner

QGroundControl

Job description

Location: Aylesbury/Hybrid - 3 Days Per Week

Sector: UAV / Unmanned Systems / Edge Technology

Are you the engineer who's just as comfortable rewriting ArduPilot source code as you are elbow-deep in a payload integration on the bench? We're looking for someone who bridges that gap — and does it well.

We're recruiting for a UAS Software & Avionics Integration Engineer to join a team building next-generation unmanned aircraft systems. This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to see their code fly, not just compile.

What you'll be doing:

• Developing and modifying ArduPilot source code to deliver new features and platform-specific capabilities
• Integrating flight controllers, companion computers, sensors, datalinks, payloads, and ground control systems
• Building interfaces across MAVLink, serial, CAN, Ethernet, SPI, and I2C
• Running system integration, troubleshooting, ground testing, and flight testing
• Analysing flight logs and telemetry to drive performance improvements

What you'll bring:

• Proven experience developing and customising ArduPilot firmware
• Strong C++ and Python
• Hands-on work with MAVLink, Mission Planner, and QGroundControl
• Practical UAS avionics integration experience — GNSS, radios, telemetry, companion computers, payloads
• Solid grounding in flight control systems and embedded systems
• Experience supporting flight trials and system debugging

Nice to have

• Defence, aerospace, or safety-critical systems background

If you’re a practical engineer who thrives on solving the hard problems where software meets hardware — and you want your work to matter in a fast-moving, mission-critical space — we'd love to hear from you.