Senior Embedded Software Engineer – UAV Systems
London, UK
£75K – £90K
Defence Technology – Embedded C/C++ Specialist
The Challenge
A leading defence‑sector UAV technology company needed a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to strengthen its core avionics and autonomous flight‑control capability. This wasn’t a standard embedded role — they required someone with 8+ years’ experience in C/C++, deep knowledge of real‑time systems, and hands‑on expertise developing mission‑critical software for unmanned platforms.
The brief demanded a rare combination of low‑level engineering excellence, defence‑grade robustness, and experience working within regulated, high‑security environments.
Our Approach
We worked closely with the client to refine the technical and security requirements, ensuring the brief captured the exact constraints of defence‑grade UAV development — from RTOS behaviour and sensor‑fusion pipelines to secure communication protocols and airworthiness standards.
Our search strategy focused on engineers with:
8+ years’ experience in embedded C/C++
Strong background in RTOS, ARM architecture, and low‑level drivers
Experience with UAV autopilot frameworks (PX4, Ardupilot) or bespoke flight‑control stacks
Familiarity with defence, aerospace, or mission‑critical systems
Ability to operate within high‑security, multidisciplinary engineering teams
We targeted a niche talent pool across the UK and Europe, prioritising engineers who thrive in environments where reliability, precision, and compliance are non‑negotiable.
The Outcome
Within a controlled timeframe, we delivered a shortlist of senior embedded engineers with proven experience in UAV systems, avionics, and defence‑sector software development.
The client secured their ideal candidate — someone who brought immediate value to flight‑control development, strengthened their embedded capability, and aligned perfectly with the organisation’s culture of precision engineering and defence‑grade quality.
Impact
Specialist senior hire delivered quickly
Zero time wasted on unsuitable profiles
A mission‑critical engineer now contributing to next‑generation UAV platforms
A client who now treats us as their go‑to partner for niche defence and autonomy engineering hires