Drones systems engineer

About the Role

Drone Systems Engineer

design, integration, and deployment of next-generation drones

not a plug-and-play assembly role

Key Responsibilities

Hardware Design & Integration

• Design, assemble, and optimize 

  multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones

  , including frame selection, motor & ESC configuration, propeller dynamics, and payload balancing.
• Integrate onboard compute modules (Jetson Orin, Raspberry Pi, etc.) with 

  PX4

   or 

  ArduPilot

   flight controllers (CubePilot Orange+, Pixhawk 6X, etc.).
• Develop and test 

  power distribution systems

  , 

  LiPo battery configurations

  , and 

  telemetry setups

   (SiK, 433/915 MHz, etc.).
• Work on 

  thermal management

  , 

  vibration isolation

  , and 

  EMI mitigation

   to ensure high sensor accuracy.

Software & Autonomy Stack

• Develop and tune 

  Visual Navigation Systems (VNS)

   including:
• Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO)
• Visual SLAM (Kimera, ORB-SLAM3, VINS-Fusion)
• Depth-based obstacle avoidance
• Implement and optimize 

  sensor fusion pipelines

   (IMU + Vision + GPS + LiDAR) using 

  ROS/ROS2

  .
• Work on 

  autonomous path planning

  , 

  mission control

  , and 

  failsafe behaviors

  .
• Deploy 

  real-time inference pipelines

   for onboard AI (object detection, terrain mapping, human/vehicle tracking).
• Integrate 

  MAVLink protocols

   for communication between companion computers and flight controllers.

Systems Engineering & Testing

• Calibrate and validate sensors (IMU, magnetometer, barometer, GPS, and camera extrinsics).
• Conduct 

  ground and flight tests

   to evaluate stability, control loops, and navigation accuracy.
• Analyze 

  flight logs

   using 

  QGroundControl

  , 

  Mission Planner

  , or 

  MAVLink tools

   for debugging and optimization.
• Manage 

  version-controlled firmware and ROS packages

   using 

  Git

   and CI/CD pipelines.

Edge & Cloud Deployment

• Implement 

  real-time video streaming

  , 

  telemetry dashboards

  , and 

  remote monitoring

   over 4G/5G or Wi-Fi.
• Optimize 

  low-latency data pipelines

   using 

  CUDA

  , 

  TensorRT

  , and 

  GStreamer

  .
• Collaborate with AI/ML engineers for 

  data collection, annotation, and retraining pipelines

   for perception and mapping models.

Required Skills & Experience

• 1–2 years

   of hands-on experience in UAV system development (hardware + software).
• Proven integration experience with 

  PX4

   or 

  ArduPilot

   flight stacks.
• Strong programming skills in 

  C++

   and 

  Python

   for robotics and embedded control.
• Deep understanding of 

  ROS/ROS2

  , 

  MAVROS

  , and 

  sensor fusion algorithms

  .
• Hands-on experience with 

  NVIDIA Jetson devices

   (Jetson Orin/Xavier/Nano).
• Experience with 

  stereo/depth cameras

   such as 

  Intel RealSense D455

  , 

  ZED

  , or 

  Luxonis OAK-D

  .
• Knowledge of 

  SLAM/VIO algorithms

  , 

  sensor calibration

  , and 

  3D reconstruction

  .
• Familiarity with 

  PCB design

  , 

  power electronics

  , and 

  embedded microcontrollers

   (STM32, ESP32).
• Strong background in 

  control systems

  , 

  flight dynamics

  , and 

  PID tuning

  .

• DGCA-certified drone pilot license (preferred)

   — ideal for candidates capable of manual flight testing and maneuver validation.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with 

  Isaac ROS Visual SLAM

  , 

  Kimera-VIO

  , or 

  RTAB-Map

  .
• Exposure to 

  LiDAR integration

   and 

  point cloud processing

   (PCL, Open3D).
• Proficiency in 

  Docker

   for containerized robotics deployments.
• Understanding of 

  computer vision (OpenCV)

   and 

  deep learning frameworks

   (PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• Knowledge of 

  geospatial datasets

  , 

  DGCA/IN-SPACe regulations

  , and 

  BVLOS operational standards

  .

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in 

  Robotics

  , 

  Mechatronics

  , 

  Aerospace Engineering

  or 

  Embedded Systems

  .
• Publications, research projects, or open-source contributions in 

  drone autonomy

  , 

  SLAM

  , or 

  VIO

   are highly desirable.

What We Offer

• Work at the intersection of 

  AI, photonics, and autonomous UAVs

  .
• End-to-end ownership in 

  drone R&D

  , from prototype to field deployment.
• Access to 

  Phoqtek Labs’ GPU and simulation infrastructure

   for testing and AI workloads.
• Opportunity to contribute to 

  cutting-edge aerial autonomy research

  .
• Competitive startup compensation with growth.