Embedded Software Engineer
Airbound
Embedded Software Engineer
Airbound
Autonomous VTOL drones for lightweight cargo
Our mission is to make a world where everyone has access to delivery. Where goods move as freely as information moves today.
This is possible. Today the cost of moving on a scooter is ₹2/km. That’s the cost of moving a 150kg mass from point A to B. We’re bringing that mass down to less than 5kgs, concurrently bringing the cost down to 10 paise/km. This is how we make deliveries a reality. This is how we create a world where we’re doing billions of deliveries per day.
The tech is not there. The current cost of drone delivery is ₹100/km. We need to completely redefine the way things are done here. We’re building the world’s most efficient aircraft from the ground-up, and scaling that up to beyond anything the aerospace sector has ever seen. This cannot be an iterative process. We have to tear down all conventions and build everything up from scratch.
To do this, we need nothing less than the best engineers. The ones who care about building something fundamentally different, who are deeply curious about understanding the fundamentals of everything they’re working on, who are dreamers that believe in the impossible.
The hardware on the drone is only half of what keeps it up in the air. The rest is the software both on the craft and on our ground station. Our unique dual motor thrust vectored tailsitter with blended wing body design has to fly in almost all weather-including heavy winds and light rains autonomously. We’re targeting 1000s of flights per day across all locations, requiring us to rethink everything from firmware, controls, state estimation to even ground control and fleet management software. We’ve achieved an industry-leading payload-to-weight ratio of ~2kg drone for 1kg payload and we’re pushing this even further. Every gram matters when you’re revolutionizing logistics. This is where cutting-edge aerospace engineering meets software scalability meets real-world impact. If you get excited about solving problems that span multiple disciplines that don’t have textbook solutions, this is your playground.
In this critical, hands-on engineering role, you will develop the embedded software that keeps our revolutionary aircraft flying safely and efficiently. You will build flight-critical systems, optimize real-time performance of our state estimation and control loops, and integrate cutting-edge sensors into our dual-motor thrust-vectored tailsitter platform.
Flight-Critical Firmware Development: Design and implement core embedded systems that control our unique blended wing body aircraft through complex autonomous flight operations
Real-Time Control Systems: Develop high-frequency control loops and sensor fusion algorithms under strict timing constraints. Implement advanced flight control logic and state estimation systems that respond to changing flight conditions in milliseconds
Hardware Integration & Optimization: Build low-level drivers for custom avionics hardware including IMUs, GPS modules, cameras, and motor controllers. Optimize code for memory and power efficiency
Autonomous Navigation Systems: Support development of computer vision pipelines for precision landing, path planning algorithms, and obstacle avoidance systems for fully autonomous flight operations
Communication & Telemetry: Develop robust communication protocols for ground station connectivity, fleet coordination, and real-time telemetry streaming. Ensure reliable data transmission in challenging RF environments with failsafe mechanisms
3-4 years or equivalent expertise in embedded/firmware engineering, with proven experience preferably in the drone/robotics industry or on similar complex real-time systems
Core Programming Skills: Expert-level proficiency in embedded C and modern C++ 14/17+ for embedded systems, with strong knowledge of Python 3.8+ for computer vision, scripting and data analysis
Embedded Systems Expertise:
Low-level MCU firmware with hardware interfaces, device drivers, and system programming for I2C/SPI/GPIO/UART/CAN based peripherals in bare-metal and RTOS setups
Proficiency with Embedded Linux systems in user-space and/or kernel-space modules, with exposure to multithreading and multiprocessing
Knowledge of computer vision libraries (OpenCV) and camera integration
Flight Control Systems:
Hands-on experience with autopilot frameworks like ArduPilot/PX4 and ground control software (Mission Planner, QGroundControl, MAVProxy)
Strong understanding of control theory including PID controllers, and real-time feedback systems
Experience with SITL/HITL testing and flight simulation environments
Software Engineering Fundamentals:
Strong test-driven development and profiling expertise for safety-critical systems
Mastery of Git workflows and collaborative development practices
Application of SOLID principles and embedded software best practices
Excellent documentation and communication skills for cross-functional collaboration
Experience with state estimation techniques (Kalman filters, least squares) and advanced control algorithms like model predictive control, disturbance rejection control
Experience with high-speed communication protocols: MIPI-CSI/DSI, USB cameras with v4l2 stack, Ethernet, SerDes
Experience with ROS2/Zenoh for distributed robotics systems and inter-process communication
Work location: Hoskote, Bangalore (Headquarters)
#LI-AR1
Comprehensive health insurance to keep you and your loved ones covered
Relocation assistance and a daily travel stipend to ease your commute
Advanced salary credit to support you when you need it
“A driven, passionate team where you’ll have room to grow and thrive - this is more than just a job, it’s a rare opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up”
In-office role, working alternate Saturdays.
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Airbound builds autonomous vertical-takeoff tail-sitter drones in Bengaluru that can carry payloads heavier than their own weight, aiming to compete with trucking for certain goods. The drones are designed and manufactured in-house, with the current TRT model weighing 3.3 lb and carrying about 2.2 lb, and future versions targeting up to 11 lb payload; manufacturing happens at a 43,000-square-foot facility. It has logged over 13,000 autonomous flights in Bengaluru and Guntur, including rapid diagnostic-sample transfers for Narayana Health, and is pursuing a multi-city logistics network with Andhra Pradesh. The company raised about $50 million to scale manufacturing and larger aircraft, while BVLOS regulation remains the main bottleneck, and its goal is to expand autonomous air-cargo networks to shorten delivery times and reduce logistics costs.
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