Software Engineer - Ground Control Station (Qt/C++/QML)

Pyka; California (MO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k)

Paid holidays and generous PTO

Free catered lunch and snacks

Job summary

Pyka in California is seeking a Software Engineer to develop their Ground Control application, a real-time Qt/QML system crucial for aircraft operations. The role includes UX design, frontend and backend implementation, and system integration. The ideal candidate has 2-5 years of software engineering experience, preferably with Qt and modern C++. The position offers a base salary of $140,000-$168,000 per year, along with equity, health insurance, and generous PTO.

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of experience in software engineering.
• Experience with Qt and modern C++ (C++11 and beyond).
• Comfortable working across the stack from UI to backend logic.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of the Qt/QML ground control application.
• Design and implement high-performance user interfaces.
• Debug and resolve issues across the stack.

Skills

Software engineering experience

Proficiency in modern C++

Experience with Qt/QML

Debugging complex issues

Design and user experience

Job description

Overview

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation. To get there, we’re applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes. Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in their respective industries.

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day.

Role

Pyka is looking for a Software Engineer to contribute to the development of our Ground Control application — a real-time Qt/QML system that is central to aircraft operations. This role spans UX design, frontend and backend implementation, and system-level integration. You’ll take ownership of meaningful features within a mission-critical system and contribute to evolving it into a reliable, intuitive, and high-performance product used in real-world flight operations. If you’ve built software for complex systems — vehicles, robotics, or industrial platforms — and care equally about usability and robustness, this is a chance to own a product that directly impacts how humans interact with autonomous aircraft.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of Plane View, our core Qt/QML ground control application, and other human-machine interfaces
• Own the development of features end-to-end, from design through implementation, testing, and iteration
• Design and implement intuitive, high-performance user interfaces for real-time systems
• Debug and resolve issues across the stack, including UI, backend and platform-specific behavior
• Interface with hardware and external systems (e.g., USB devices, telemetry, networking)
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to evolve the architecture and capabilities of the system
• Help maintain consistency in interface design and user experience across the product
• Participate in product and usability discussions, contributing ideas and feedback

Preferred Qualifications

• 2-5 years of experience in software engineering
• Experience with Qt (bonus points for QML)
• Proficiency in modern C++ (C++11 and beyond)
• Experience with JavaScript is a plus, but Qt/QML proficiency is key
• A background in building human-machine interfaces — automotive, aerospace, medical devices, or similar
• Comfortable working across the stack, from UI to backend logic and system integration
• Experience debugging complex issues across multiple layers (UI, networking, OS/platform)
• A keen eye for design and user experience — you care deeply about how software looks and feels
• Able to work independently and take full ownership of complex projects
• We understand that candidates bring different strengths and experiences, and you don’t need to meet every qualification to be considered. If this role excites you, we’d love to learn more about you. You may be a great fit even if your background doesn’t align perfectly with the list.

Compensation & Benefits

• $140,000-$168,000 per year base salary + equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Salary ranges are subject to change.
• Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance
• FSA with employer matching
• 401(k)
• Paid holidays, generous PTO, and additional unpaid time off
• Voluntary short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls. Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items.

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.