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Pyka is building autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection, with FAA regulatory approvals and operations across four continents. As Senior Software Engineer for the Dropship and Cargo programs, you will own the software architecture and behavior of these aircraft systems end-to-end.
You will be the technical authority on how software components integrate across the full stack: path planning for long-range missions, flight controls for new airframes, hybrid powertrain energy management (engine control, state-of-charge policies, power/range/payload tradeoffs), sensor integration, and mission planning tools. Your responsibilities span from simulation and flight test through operational deployment.
Key focus areas include: developing path-planning algorithms that account for energy state, winds aloft, and weather; managing hybrid powertrain behavior to optimize range and payload; designing flight control systems for novel airframes; integrating new sensors and payload systems; translating operational feedback from live cargo flights into next-generation requirements; and defining what mission planning and ground tools must expose to operators.
You will be the engineer the Dropship team turns to when software is the critical blocker. This role requires deep systems thinking, fluency across controls, autonomy, energy management, and avionics, and the ability to drive decisions on what the aircraft needs to do and whether it is ready to fly.
