Senior Software Engineer

Drive the development of mission-critical software for autonomous aviation

About Avy

Avy pioneers unmanned aviation technology for emergency services and life-saving applications. We partner with innovative organizations that are among the first in the world to integrate long-range drone operations into their daily workflows.

We thrive on innovation, agility, and bold ideas and we’ve developed a range of cutting-edge products that are ready to make impact at scale. We’re an award winning scale up in the aviation industry, we pride ourselves for combining an innovative garage startup culture with being a professional and safety minded aviation organisation.

About the role

Our systems require high-quality, reliable software to ensure safe mission execution. As a senior software engineer, you bring valuable experience to support the ongoing development of our products, ranging from embedded Linux and RTOS flight controllers to our Linux-based Mission Planner and cloud applications like fleet management. From day one you’ll balance priorities across multiple projects.

You'll join a collaborative and driven software team of six engineers and play a key role in the daily workload, working closely with the hardware and embedded teams to ensure smooth integration between software and physical systems.

Beyond your technical contributions, you help organize the team’s work and support less experienced colleagues. You proactively spot potential issues, share your vision with management, and naturally take a guiding role. You help to steer the technical direction and maintain focus.

Your code ensures that our drones operate safely, efficiently and reliably in complex real-world applications. In this role, your impact will be directly visible!

Key responsibilities

• ✅ Design and develop high-quality, reliable software for flight control, mission planning, and cloud-based fleet management
• ✅ Lead technical design discussions and contribute to architectural decisions across the software stack
• ✅ Integrate software with hardware and embedded systems, working closely with the hardware and embedded systems teams
• ✅ Mentor and support fellow engineers, helping to elevate the team’s technical capabilities and practices
• ✅ Ensure safety, performance, and scalability through robust testing, reviews, and continuous improvement
• ✅ Translate complex system requirements into clear technical solutions, balancing innovation with safety and maintainability
• ✅ Own and deliver end-to-end features in an agile environment, from design to deployment

About you

You’re comfortable with a systems engineering approach and agile workflows. You thrive in a fast-paced, international environment and bring both optimism and adaptability. As a senior, you combine deep technical expertise with sound judgment. You are able to set priorities, communicate clearly, say no when needed and quickly understand complex situations. When you're faced with something new, you dive in with curiosity and learn quickly.

Requirements

• ✔ At least 8 years of experience in software engineering
• ✔ (Advanced) proficiency in PX4 (or ArduPilot)
• ✔ Experience in drones or manned aviation
• ✔ Proficiency in C++ and Python
• ✔ Experience with Docker, Git and (embedded) Linux
• ✔ Experience in managing requirements for complex, multi-disciplinary systems

Plus

• ✔ Affinity with hardware and embedded systems
• ✔ Experience in QGC (or MissionPlanner) open source code bases
• ✔ Knowledge of flight dynamics and controls
• ✔ Familiarity with or willingness to learn TECS tuning and UAV control system parameter optimization.

What we offer

• 🚀 Impactful work: be part of a company using technology to save lives and drive sustainability
• ⭐ Leading the drone revolution: work on advanced aerial systems projects that keep you on the front lines of innovation as we shape the future of drone technology
• 💰Competitive salary, depending on the level of seniority
• 🌴 Unlimited time off: take the time you need to recharge and stay at your best
• 🏢 An inspiring office: work from our awesome space in Amsterdam, featuring a maker space, sauna, and great lunches!
• 🎢 Startup experience: embrace the excitement, freedom, and fast growth of an ambitious tech startup
• 🤝 A great culture: a warm and fun atmosphere with regular get-togethers, drinks, and celebrations plus a work environment built on trust, freedom, and learning from mistakes

EU citizenship or an EU work permit is required for this position (Avy does not offer relocation support).