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Autonomy Engineer - Fixed Wing Planning & Controls

Skydio· R&D
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Hybrid (San Mateo, California, United States)$170k - $240kFull-timePosted 6mo ago

About the role

Autonomy Engineer role focused on development and implementation of the core planning and control stack for Skydio’s F10 tailsitter platform, including motion planning, flight controllers, aerodynamic modeling, and cross-stack collaboration.

Responsibilities

  • Architect, implement, simulate, and flight test new motion planning strategies
  • Develop, tune, and analyze new flight controllers
  • Refine and understand the aerodynamic and dynamic model of a tailsitter aircraft using simulated and flight test data
  • Inform aspects of hardware design such as sensor requirements and aerodynamic control authority through simulation and analysis
  • Get out of your comfort zone and help across the stack where needed

Qualifications

  • Strong proficiency in C++ and Python in real-time contexts
  • Experience shipping software that controls real hardware, e.g. aircraft, drones, robots, etc.
  • Knowledge of aircraft and rotorcraft dynamics
  • Experience with non-linear optimization
  • Modern and classical control theory and practice
  • Strong software engineering fundamentals and a commitment to writing clean, well-designed, maintainable, readable code
  • Experience collaborating in a larger code base
  • Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions

Skills

Required:C++PythonReal-time softwareAircraft/rotorcraft dynamicsNon-linear optimizationControl theory

Benefits

  • Paid vacation time
  • sick leave
  • holiday pay
  • 401K savings plan
  • group health insurance plans
Last updated Oct 22, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Skydio

A family of flying robots.

AI-powered autonomous drones for Drone as First Responder (DFR), critical infrastructure inspection, tactical ISR, site security, surveying and mapping

DronesAutonomous SystemsInspectionSecurityMappingPublic SafetyNational Security
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