Drones systems engineer

Job description

About the Role

Phoqtek Labs is seeking an exceptional

Drone Systems Engineer

who possesses deep expertise across both

aerial hardware design

and

autonomous navigation software

.
The candidate will be responsible for the

design, integration, and deployment of next-generation drones

equipped with

Visual Navigation Systems (VNS)

, capable of

GPS-denied operation

and

AI-assisted autonomy

.
This is

not a plug-and-play assembly role

you will architect the

entire system stack

, from

sensor fusion and flight control integration

to

real-time perception and control systems

optimized on

edge devices like NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano/Xavier

.

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.

Required Skill Profession

Engineers