Autopilot Software Engineer

Job Description

Location(s): [[mfield3]]

BAE Systems Digital Intelligence is home to 4,500 digital, cyber and intelligence experts. We work collaboratively across 10 countries to collect, connect and understand complex data, so that governments, nation states, armed forces and commercial businesses can unlock digital advantage in the most demanding environments.

Job title: Autopilot Software Engineer

Location: Poznań, hybrid

We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

About the role:

As an Autopilot Software Engineer, you will be reporting to the Autopilot Team Lead. We seek someone looking to support in the development and verification of Ardupilot-based flight control software. Working within the Autopilot team, you will be supporting in the delivery of engineering outputs including software requirements, software design, software implementation and software testing. Applying your knowledge and principles of engineering to assist in the implementation of aircraft control systems to a high degree of safety and reliability.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, configure, and test Ardupilot-based flight control systems for various UAV platforms.
• Test and optimise flight behaviours, parameters, and mission execution in both SITL (Software-in-the-Loop) and real flight environments.
• Support sensor integration (GPS, cameras, LiDAR, etc.) and ensure robust flight performance.
• Contribute to documentation, simulation environments, and internal development standards.
• Assist in software high-level requirements capture and documentation.
• Support software architectural design.
• Contribution to innovation by assisting in research into and application of emergent technologies.
• Support the implementation of the Software Engineering Quality Practices.
• Participation in peer reviews

Skills & Experience:

Essential:

• 3+ years of hands-on experience with Ardupilot, PX4, or similar open-source autopilot stacks.
• Strong knowledge of MAVLink, mission planning, and UAV communication protocols.
• Practical experience with UAV tuning, flight testing, and log analysis (Mission Planner, MAVProxy, etc.).
• Excellent working knowledge of C++
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced R&D environment.
• Experience working with communication protocols such as: CAN, SPI, I2C, UDP, TCP.
• Experience taking a design from software requirements definition through to completion.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with Linux environments and Ardupilot SITL.
• Exposure to other programming languages such as LUA (strong plus), Python, Rust
• Knowledge of safety related engineering practices.
• Working in an Agile environment.
• Background of aeronautics and control systems.
• Familiarity with PID control loops.
• Experience with flight control systems.
• General interest in aviation.

We expect:

• Ability to commit to occasional national and international travel
• Excellent communicator
• Excellent problem-solving ability
• Ability to work well in a team
• Enthusiasm for their work and self-motivated
• Ability to hold Basic Check security clearance / openness for higher clearance process application (PL/NATO/EU/ESA)

We offer:

• Permanent contract (3months probation period).
• Benefits package: life insurance, private medical care package (Medicover), Multikafeteria system, lunch card, integration events, annual bonus and company stocks.
• Development and improvement opportunities.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation.

Life at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence

We are embracing Hybrid Working. This means you and your colleagues may be working in different locations, such as from home, another BAE Systems office or client site, some or all of the time, and work might be going on at different times of the day.

By embracing technology, we can interact, collaborate and create together, even when we’re working remotely from one another. Hybrid Working allows for increased flexibility in when and where we work, helping us to balance our work and personal life more effectively, and enhance well-being.

Diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence. We are proud to have an organisational culture where employees with varying perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds – the best and brightest minds – can work together to achieve excellence and realise individual and organisational potential.

Division overview: Government

At BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, we pride ourselves in being a leader in the cyber defence industry, and Government contracts are an area we have many decades of experience in. Government and key infrastructure networks are critical targets to defend as the effects of these networks being breached can be devastating.

As a member of the Government business unit, you will defend the connected world and ensure the protection of nations. We all have a role to play in defending our clients, and this is yours.