Senior React Native Engineer - Real-Time Drone App (Hybrid)

Skydio, Inc.; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Stock options

Health insurance

401K

Job summary

Skydio, Inc. in San Mateo, CA, is seeking a Senior React Native Engineer to lead development of real-time, high-impact mobile apps used by first responders, drone pilots, and the public.

You will shape the architecture of our cross-platform app and deliver mission-critical video and telemetry interfaces under time pressure. You'll own features end to end, balance native code with TypeScript, and collaborate with autonomy and cloud teams to iterate from prototype to production, with relocation

Qualifications

• 5+ years building and shipping customer-facing mobile applications with React Native.

Responsibilities

• Innovate on UI/UX for Skydio's cross-platform mobile app.
• Build video- and map-based experiences for pilots and users.
• Improve app performance with selective native code.
• Establish patterns: components, navigation, testing, CI/CD, performance budgets.
• Own features end to end from prototype to rollout.
• Enable first responders to run multi-drone operations.
• Collaborate with autonomy and cloud teams and iterate from field feedback.

Skills

React Native

React

TypeScript

GraphQL

Real-time data-intensive features

Cross-team collaboration

Tools

Swift

Kotlin

WebRTC

LiveKit

Expo

Fabric/TurboModules

Job description

San Mateo, California, United States- Full-time

About the Role:

We're looking for a Senior React Native Engineer to lead development of real-time, high-impact mobile applications used by first responders, drone pilots, mission commanders, and members of the public requesting a drone. You'll be a key contributor in shaping the future of drones as critical infrastructure — building intuitive, resilient, high-performance interfaces that deliver mission-critical video, telemetry, and collaboration at the edge.

This is a role with real architectural latitude. You'll make foundational decisions about how our cross-platform app is structured, and you'll see the results in the field, where the people using what you build are operating under time pressure and can't afford a dropped frame or a confusing screen.

How You’ll Make an Impact:

Innovate on UI/UX for Skydio's new cross-platform mobile app

Build video- and map-based experiences for a range of user personas, from trained pilots to first-time public users

Improve app performance through tasteful use of native code versus TypeScript — knowing when to drop into Swift or Kotlin and when not to

Establish the patterns the app is built on: shared components, navigation and state management conventions, testing strategy, CI/CD, and performance budgets

Own features end to end, from early prototype through customer rollout, with release management, feature flagging, and observability in place

Enable first responders to run complex multi-drone operations with ease

Collaborate with the autonomy and cloud teams, and iterate on features using feedback from the field

What Makes You a Good Fit:

5+ years building and shipping customer-facing mobile applications, with substantial depth in React Native

Strong expertise in React, TypeScript, and GraphQL

Strong development skills in Swift and/or Kotlin, with real experience writing or maintaining native modules rather than only consuming them

Proven ability to design systems that scale for performance, reliability, and usability — and the diagnostic skill to find out why they don't

Experience building real-time, data-intensive features and integrating with external APIs and services

Strong product intuition and empathy for end users operating in high-stakes environments

Demonstrated experience working across teams to take complex, integrated features from concept to production

Comfort operating with ambiguity and a bias toward action

Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions

Bonus Points:

Experience with real-time video streaming (WebRTC, LiveKit, RTP/UDP pipelines, or similar)

Experience with geospatial data visualization (Mapbox, Cesium, or similar)

Experience with 3D tooling and matrix-based transformations (OpenGL, WebGL, WebGPU, Three.js, or similar)

Exposure to autonomy or robotics platforms, or any app that communicates directly with physical hardware over BLE, Wi-Fi, or a vendor SDK

Experience with Expo and modern React Native tooling, including the New Architecture (Fabric, TurboModules)

Comfort with AI-assisted development workflows and an interest in pushing what's possible with them

Work Location: This role is a hybrid position, requiring you to work from our San Mateo, California office three days per week. While we are flexible regarding which days you come in, all employees are expected to be able to commute to the office three times a week or be open to relocating closer. We offer relocation packages to assist candidates with this move.

Note: You don't need to check every box. If you're excited about this role and think you'd be a strong fit, we encourage you to apply — even if your experience doesn't match every qualification listed above.

Compensation: At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $190,000 - $250,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.

*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.

#LI-WA1

At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.

For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

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