Embedded Software Engineer – Hard Real-Time

Are you the engineer who builds the systems that other engineers build their applications on? We're partnering with a world-class advanced technology organisation in Abu Dhabi to recruit exceptional Embedded Software Engineers with deep expertise in hard real-time systems, PX4 flight-control technology and low-level firmware development. This isn't a conventional embedded software role. We're looking for engineers who operate beneath the application layer — specialists who understand real-time operating systems, develop firmware for custom hardware and solve complex timing challenges where precision and reliability are non-negotiable. You'll work at the intersection of secure embedded computing, autonomous systems and next-generation flight-control technology, developing sophisticated hardware/software platforms from the ground up. What you'll be doing • Developing low-level embedded software for advanced flight-control and mission-computing platforms. • Porting, integrating and optimising PX4 and real-time operating systems on custom hardware. • Developing board support packages (BSPs), firmware, device drivers and hardware abstraction layers. • Solving challenges involving deterministic execution, interrupt handling, scheduling and strict real-time deadlines. • Integrating sensors, microcontrollers, processors and hardware interfaces. • Contributing to the security, reliability and performance of advanced embedded systems. Essential requirements: • Proven, hands-on PX4 autopilot development experience, ideally including integration, modification or porting to embedded hardware. • Deep expertise in low-level embedded software, firmware and hard real-time systems. • Strong knowledge of RTOS technologies, particularly NuttX or comparable environments. • Experience developing BSPs, device drivers or bringing up new hardware platforms. • Excellent programming skills in C/C++. • Strong understanding of ARM processors, microcontrollers, scheduling, interrupts and hardware interfaces. Highly desirable: • Experience with embedded security, secure boot or trusted computing. • Knowledge of Rust, hardware/software integration and safety-critical engineering. • Background in aerospace, avionics, UAVs, autonomous systems, semiconductors or defence R&D. You might currently be a Senior Embedded Software Engineer, PX4 Developer, RTOS Engineer, Flight Control Software Engineer, Firmware/BSP Engineer or Embedded Systems Architect. Perhaps you've worked with organisations such as Auterion, NXP, DJI, Saab, Embention or other advanced embedded technology companies. We're looking for engineers who understand PX4 beyond the application layer — people who can explain how they've brought new hardware to life, developed low-level firmware or solved difficult real-time performance challenges. Join an ambitious international research environment working on some of the most technically demanding challenges in embedded engineering. • Develop pioneering, next-generation embedded and flight-control technologies. • Work on fundamental hardware/software platforms, not just applications. • Collaborate with world-class researchers and specialist engineers. • Contribute to advanced secure and autonomous computing research. • Relocate to Abu Dhabi for a potentially career-defining technical opportunity (and benefit from a tax free package and 300+ days of sunshine a year!) If you have genuine hands-on PX4 development expertise and enjoy solving complex engineering challenges at the hardware/software boundary, we'd love to hear from you. #PX4 #EmbeddedSystems #RealTimeSystems #RTOS #NuttX #FirmwareEngineering #FlightControl #AbuDhabiJobs #EngineeringJobs Show more Show less