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Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. The company has spent eight years developing and deploying autonomous logistics systems for real-world operations. The V2 aircraft carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles, while the next-generation V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000+ miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a hybrid-electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long-range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure. Skyways aircraft currently operate across three continents in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight and in support of U.S. military operations. The company is transitioning from prototype development to full-rate production and scaling toward large autonomous cargo fleets. Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is based in Austin, Texas.
In this Staff Software Engineer role, you will own the architecture and evolution of critical areas of the Skyways software stack, spanning SkyNav, backend services, telemetry infrastructure, and autonomous aircraft software. You will set technical standards for the software team and raise the quality bar through design, code review, and decision making. You will lead the highest risk, highest leverage work: architecture of the ArduPilot C++ fork, safety-relevant vehicle software changes, and integration with avionics, hardware, and higher-level autonomy systems. You will design SkyNav's 3D visualization and mission planning architecture using JavaScript or TypeScript and modern web graphics, enabling other engineers to build quickly on solid foundations. You will architect and scale the telemetry hub so real-time fleet data remains reliable as aircraft volume grows, making build-versus-buy and infrastructure decisions. You will apply AI and machine learning where they create real value, and shape how the software team uses modern AI tools across engineering automation, data analysis, debugging, and operator tools. You will drive cross-functional alignment across GNC, robotics, embedded software, flight operations, hardware, and leadership, turning ambiguous company priorities into concrete technical plans validated in simulation and flight testing. You will multiply the team by mentoring senior engineers, writing design documents that settle debates, and shaping how software gets built at Skyways through architecture, testing, CI/CD, observability, and clear technical documentation.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including ownership of production systems that span multiple teams
- Deep production proficiency in Python, JavaScript or TypeScript, and C++
- Track record of architecting and shipping across the stack, from user interfaces and 3D experiences to backend services and systems software
- Experience designing distributed systems and APIs for performance, reliability, load balancing, and observability at scale
- Experience in aviation, robotics, autonomous systems, or another environment where software interacts with real-world hardware
- Strong applied AI fluency, including using modern AI development tools effectively and building AI-enabled product or operational capabilities
- Evidence of force multiplication: standards you set, designs you drove, and engineers who got better because you were there
- Judgment to define your own direction within company strategy, ability to debug complex issues across application, network, operating system, and hardware boundaries, and a proactive, low-ego approach to owning ambiguous problems from concept through deployment
BONUS:
- Experience with ArduPilot, PX4, or another autopilot stack
- Experience with Electron, CesiumJS, Three.js, Babylon.js, WebGL, or similar 3D technologies
- Experience with real-time telemetry, event streaming, fleet systems, or high-availability infrastructure
- Experience with embedded Linux, avionics, sensors, or direct hardware communication
- Background in GNC, computer vision, autonomy, or flight testing
- Knowledge of FAA operations, UAS regulations, defense programs, or export-controlled development environments
- Experience at an early-stage company where engineers move quickly across disciplines
Note: Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.
