Staff Software Engineer

The role

You will own the architecture of Skyways' flight and fleet software, from C++ in the ArduPilot fork to Python services, telemetry and 3D interfaces. You will set technical standards, lead safety-relevant aircraft software work, and mentor senior engineers.

What you will do

• Own the architecture and evolution of critical areas of the software stack, including SkyNav, backend services, telemetry and autonomous aircraft software.
• Set technical standards and raise the quality bar through design, code review and decisions.
• Lead the architecture of the ArduPilot C++ fork and safety-relevant vehicle software changes.
• Design SkyNav's 3D visualization and mission planning architecture in JavaScript or TypeScript.
• Architect and scale the telemetry hub, including build versus buy and infrastructure decisions.
• Apply AI and machine learning where they create real value across engineering and operator tools.
• Drive alignment across GNC, robotics, embedded software, flight operations, hardware and leadership.
• Mentor senior engineers and write design documents, testing, CI/CD and observability practices.

Required qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including ownership of production systems across multiple teams.
• Deep production proficiency in Python, JavaScript or TypeScript, and C++.
• Track record of shipping across the stack, from user interfaces and 3D experiences to backend and systems software.
• Experience designing distributed systems and APIs for performance, reliability, load balancing and observability at scale.
• Experience in aviation, robotics, autonomous systems, or another environment where software interacts with real hardware.
• Strong applied AI fluency, including effective use of modern AI development tools and building AI-enabled capabilities.
• Evidence of force multiplication: standards set, designs driven, and engineers who improved because of you.
• Judgment to define your own direction within company strategy, debug issues across application, network, OS and hardware boundaries, and own ambiguous problems from concept to deployment.

Nice to have

• Experience with ArduPilot, PX4 or another autopilot stack.
• Experience with Electron, CesiumJS, Three.js, Babylon.js, WebGL or similar 3D technologies.
• Experience with real-time telemetry, event streaming, fleet systems or high availability infrastructure.
• Experience with embedded Linux, avionics, sensors or direct hardware communication.
• Background in GNC, computer vision, autonomy or flight testing.
• Knowledge of FAA operations, UAS regulations, defense programs or export-controlled environments.
• Experience at an early-stage company where engineers move quickly across disciplines.

Benefits

• Stock options
• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• 401k
• Life insurance
• Relocation assistance for candidates moving to Austin

Before you apply

• Due to U.S. government contract requirements, the role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulatio

About the company

Skyways designs, builds and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft, founded in 2017. Its aircraft fly revenue missions for commercial customers across three continents, and it is backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force.