Director of Software

The role

You will own the software behind Skyways autonomous cargo aircraft that fly real missions today. You will lead the software team, set the roadmap for autonomy, SkyNav and internal tools, and work closely with flight, hardware, manufacturing and operators.

What you will do

• Own software execution and the software roadmap across autonomy, SkyNav and internal tools
• Build, lead and develop the software team, including hiring, performance and growth
• Own software org design, delivery, team health and the software budget
• Act as a player coach: write code, review code and take on hard problems when needed
• Set technical direction through shipped systems and measurable outcomes
• Work directly with operators and customers using live deployment and field feedback
• Partner with hardware, flight and manufacturing so software and aircraft evolve together
• Improve reliability, performance and maintainability as the fleet and customer base scale

Required qualifications

• Proven experience shipping and supporting complex production software systems
• Experience leading and developing software teams, including hiring and growing engineers
• Experience with autonomy, robotics or mission planning systems
• Strong systems thinking across autonomy, frontend, backend and infrastructure
• Comfort operating where software meets hardware and real-world constraints
• Bias toward execution, ownership and accountability
• Hands-on experience building with Python, C++ and JavaScript

Nice to have

• Experience supporting software on production hardware, flight systems or safety-critical systems
• Startup experience scaling teams and systems while things are still evolving
• Hands-on experience building with ROS, ElectronJS, Ardupilot or Mavlink

Benefits

• Stock options
• Base salary
• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• 401k
• Life insurance
• Relocation assistance for candidates moving to Austin

Before you apply

• Limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations, due to U.S. government contract requirements

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 are backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force.