Senior Software Engineer, Flight control / Drones

Avy; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 61,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited time off

Amsterdam office

Maker space & sauna

Competitive salary

Team events

Career growth toward Principal

Job summary

Avy is a pioneering unmanned aviation company building long-range drone systems for emergency services. You will own the flight control and state estimation software on our PX4-based autopilot, driving improvements from control loops to firmware interfaces.

You’ll collaborate with hardware, flight performance and testing teams to deliver safe, autonomous flights. You are a senior engineer with deep C/C++, control theory and robotics experience, ready to coach others and drive multi-disciplinary

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's in a relevant field.
• 10+ years of software development experience, with at least 7 years in C/C++.
• Strong knowledge of control theory and state estimation (e.g., cascaded/PID, Kalman).
• Experience with embedded firmware and real-time systems near sensors and hardware.
• Clear link to robotics, drones, aerospace or autonomous systems.
• Strong software architecture for large codebases.
• Experience coaching engineers and improving code quality and processes.
• Good project management: planning, estimating, coordinating across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Own the flight control and state estimation software on our PX4-based autopilot.
• Improve stability, reliability, performance and endurance by digging into firmware and hardware interfaces.
• Analyze flight logs and data to identify root causes and implement fixes.
• Coach engineers, lead design/review sessions and raise coding standards.
• Plan and run technical projects across disciplines and validate on real aircraft.

Skills

C/C++

Control theory

State estimation

Embedded firmware

Robotics

Drones

Software architecture

Coaching engineers

Project management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in a relevant field

Tools

PX4 / ArduPilot

Job description

Write software that actually flies

About Avy

Avy builds unmanned aviation technology for emergency services and life-saving applications. We're an award-winning scale-up that combines a garage-startup mindset with the discipline of a professional, safety-first aviation organisation. Our partners are among the first in the world to make long-range drone operations part of their daily work.

Why this job is different

Imagine writing code in the morning and watching it fly in the afternoon. At Avy, every line you write ends up on a real aircraft. Our drones fly long-range missions for emergency services, so your software helps save lives every day.

We’re looking for a very experienced engineer who loves anything that flies. You know control theory inside out, you understand flight control software better than almost anyone, and you know what it takes to make a drone fly safely on its own, all the way down to the firmware. You’ll join a small team where your ideas go straight into the aircraft, and where other engineers grow by working with you.

What you'll be doing

• Owning how our drone flies. You’ll own the flight control and state estimation software on our PX4-based autopilot: the control loops for hover, transition and fixed-wing flight, and the estimation behind them.
• Making our drone fly longer and more stably. You’ll dig into existing software, from control loops down to low-level firmware and hardware interfaces, to improve stability, reliability, performance and endurance. Every gain you find means longer, safer flights.
• Learning from every flight. When a flight doesn’t go as expected, you’ll analyse the logs and data, find the root cause and work out what needs to change in the software or the aircraft. Then you make it better.
• Raising the bar for the team. You’ll coach other engineers, lead design and code reviews, and improve our coding standards and workflows. You’ll work closely with our Engineering Manager on technical leadership.
• Working shoulder to shoulder with hardware, flight performance and flight test. You’ll plan and run technical projects across disciplines, test your work on real aircraft and see the results right away.

A small team with real influence

You’ll join a small, multidisciplinary engineering team that owns the complete system of a flying aircraft. There are no layers of management and no waiting months for a decision. As a senior engineer you’ll have a direct say in technical direction and how we build software, and you’ll be the person others learn from. You enjoy making others better: sharing what you know, giving honest feedback and keeping projects on track. Your decisions will show up in the air within weeks, not years. For the right person, there’s a clear path to growing into an Engineering Principal role.

Sounds like you?

Maybe you’ve always been fascinated by things that fly, and nothing beats the moment a drone takes off running code you wrote. Flight control software feels familiar territory, and making an aircraft fly autonomously and reliably is a puzzle you love to solve.

A good mystery helps too, like working out why a drone behaved differently than expected, and finding the fix that makes the next flight better. Here, quality and safety come naturally, because the aircraft really leave the ground. Add a small, international team that loves to experiment and shares the occasional surprise during a flight test, and we think you’ll feel right at home.

What you bring

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field
• 10+ years of software development experience, including at least 7 years of professional C/C++
• Solid knowledge of control theory and state estimation: cascaded and PID control, Kalman filtering, sensor fusion
• Experience with embedded firmware and real-time systems, working close to sensors, actuators and hardware interfaces
• A clear connection to robotics, drones, aerospace or autonomous systems
• Strong grasp of software architecture for systems with many interacting components, and comfort working in large existing codebases
• Experience coaching engineers and raising code quality and ways of working, with good communication skills
• Good project management skills: you plan, estimate and keep work across disciplines on track

Bonus points (we'd love to see at least two)

• Big plus: PX4 or ArduPilot experience · fixed-wing or VTOL flight control
• Bonus points: Python for tooling and testing · simulation (SITL/HITL) · MAVLink · ROS/ROS2 · CI/CD pipelines

What we offer

• Work that matters: your software supports emergency services and helps save lives.
• The front line of aviation: you'll work on advanced long-range drone systems that are already flying.
• A competitive salary: the salary range is €5,500 - €7,000, depending on experience.
• Unlimited time off, with respect for your team and shared priorities.
• An inspiring office in Amsterdam with a maker space, a sauna and great lunches.
• Startup energy with aviation-grade professionalism: freedom, fast growth and a culture where we learn from mistakes.
• A warm, fun team with regular drinks, get-togethers and celebrations.
• Room to grow: a clear path towards an Engineering Principal role.

Ready for take-off?

EU citizenship or an EU work permit is required (no relocation support). Acquisition for this vacancy is not appreciated.