Senior Software Engineer, React Native

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

Job summary

Skydio, a leading US drone company, seeks a Senior React Native Engineer to guide real-time mobile apps for first responders, pilots, and the public. You’ll shape cross-platform architecture and ensure high-performance, edge-ready interfaces delivering video and telemetry.

You’ll own features end to end, optimize for reliability, and collaborate with autonomy and cloud teams, balancing user needs with time-sensitive operations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years shipping customer-facing mobile apps with React Native.
• Strong expertise in React, TypeScript, and GraphQL.
• Experience writing or maintaining native modules (Swift or Kotlin).
• Ability to design scalable, high-performance systems for reliability and usability.
• Experience building real-time, data-intensive features with external APIs.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of real-time mobile apps for first responders and pilots.
• Architect cross-platform app structure with shared components and conventions.
• Improve performance with selective use of native code (Swift/Kotlin).
• Own features end to end from prototype to customer rollout, with release management and observability.
• Collaborate with autonomy and cloud teams to iterate based on field feedback.

Skills

React Native

React

TypeScript

GraphQL

Native modules (Swift or Kotlin)

Performance optimization

APIs integration

Tools

Swift

Kotlin

Job description

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios, and beyond.

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)
• Experience extending a mobile codebase to another platform, such as React Native on macOS
• 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.

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/