Senior Embedded Engineer – PX4 Autopilot & Simulation

Zone 5 Technologies; United States; On-site; USD 148,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401k with company-match

3 weeks of paid time off

Sick time (40 hours)

Job summary

Zone 5 Technologies in the United States is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer to develop and maintain custom PX4 autopilot firmware for autonomous aerial platforms.

You will modify core flight control algorithms, integrate sensors and payloads, and build SITL/HITL environments to ensure reliable operation across mission profiles.

Join a team solving hard problems and shaping next-generation flight systems in a fast-paced, innovative environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field – equivalent industry experience also welcome
• 4-6+ years of embedded software development with focus on real-time systems
• Strong proficiency in C and C++ for embedded systems programming
• Hands-on experience with PX4 autopilot firmware architecture and development
• Deep understanding of build systems including CMake, Make, and embedded toolchains
• Experience with ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers and embedded debugging tools
• Solid grasp of control theory, state estimation, and sensor fusion fundamentals
• Understanding of MAVLink protocol and communication with ground control stations
• Experience developing and maintaining simulation environments for embedded systems testing

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, and maintain custom PX4 firmware modules for mission-specific requirements
• Implement custom flight modes, navigation algorithms, and control strategies
• Integrate sensors, actuators, and payloads through PX4 driver and uORB message framework
• Debug firmware issues using GDB, serial consoles, and flight log analysis
• Patch and backport fixes across PX4 versions while maintaining stability
• Maintain build infrastructure using CMake, Make, and embedded toolchains
• Configure cross-compilation environments for ARM Cortex-M target architectures
• Manage firmware dependencies, submodules, and third-party libraries
• Create reproducible build configurations and automate firmware generation pipelines
• Develop and maintain SITL (Software-in-the-Loop) and HITL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) test environments
• Integrate PX4 with physics-based simulation platforms for validation and regression testing
• Create automated test scenarios to validate firmware changes before flight testing
• Configure MAVLink communication interfaces for ground control and companion computer integration
• Integrate PX4 with ROS2-based autonomy stacks
• Develop MAVLink and UART communication protocols between flight controller and edge compute modules
• Support flight test operations including pre-flight checks, log collection, and post-flight analysis
• Collaborate with hardware, autonomy, and systems engineers to diagnose and resolve integration issues

Skills

C programming

C++ programming

Real-time systems

Embedded development

Sensor fusion fundamentals

GDB debugging

MAVLink

Education

Bachelor's in CS/CE/EE/Aerospace

Tools

PX4 autopilot firmware

CMake/Make

ARM Cortex-M

ROS2

GDB

Job description

Zone 5 Technologies in the United States is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer to develop and maintain custom PX4 autopilot firmware for autonomous aerial platforms.

You will modify core flight control algorithms, integrate sensors and payloads, and build SITL/HITL environments to ensure reliable operation across mission profiles.

Join a team solving hard problems and shaping next-generation flight systems in a fast-paced, innovative environment.