Engineering · Cobra · Glacis · Headland
Senior Avionics and Embedded Systems Engineer
Build the flight and sensing electronics, and the firmware inside them, from schematic to field.
About Vaubren
Vaubren is a European defence technology company developing aircraft, command software, sensing and electronic warfare as one integrated system, with a person in command of every use of force. Our engineering team is based in Bulgaria, inside the European Union and NATO.
The role
You will own the electronics and embedded software at the heart of Vaubren’s aircraft and the Headland sensing tower. The hard problem is reliability under real conditions: vibration, heat, cold, electrical noise and tight power budgets, with no room for an interface that only works on the bench. You will design boards, write firmware and stay with the hardware through bring-up, integration and field test.
Why this role
- Join early and own complete units, hardware and firmware, across aircraft and sensing systems
- Your boards fly and go to the field, and you are there to see how they perform
- Building self-powered towers and aircraft side by side gives you an unusually wide range of embedded problems
What you will do
- Own the architecture of a flight or sensing electronics unit, from block diagram and part selection to bring-up
- Design boards for flight control, power distribution and communications, and review layouts for signal and power integrity
- Write and test firmware on microcontrollers and embedded Linux, with deterministic timing where it matters
- Integrate sensors, radios, actuators and companion computers over CAN, SPI, I2C, UART and Ethernet
- Build built-in test, diagnostics and automated bench checks that catch faults before flight
- Design for electromagnetic compatibility and ruggedness from the first schematic
- Support flight and field tests, and lead the investigation when something fails
What you bring
- Typically 6+ years in embedded systems or electronics design, with products you designed in real use
- Strong C and C++ on microcontrollers and embedded Linux
- Board-level design and debugging, confident with oscilloscopes, logic analysers and bench supplies
- Experience taking a board from schematic through bring-up to a tested, documented design
- A methodical approach to testing, version control and documentation
If you meet most of these points but not all, we still encourage you to apply.
Nice to have
- Avionics, autopilot or flight controller hardware
- Electromagnetic compatibility testing and design for compliance
- Low-power, battery or solar-powered systems
- Real-time operating systems such as Zephyr or NuttX
Working at Vaubren
- A full-time role in Bulgaria, inside the European Union and NATO
- Work across the whole system, from design review to field test
- Small teams with real ownership of their work
- Relocation discussed with each candidate
- Responsibilities, compensation and start date agreed in writing
How we hire
- 01
Application
Apply for a role or send an open application. Every application is reviewed by the team that is hiring.
- 02
First conversation
A call about your experience, the role and what you are looking for.
- 03
Technical interviews
A discussion of your past work and a practical problem drawn from the role.
- 04
Meet the team
Meet the people you would work with, in person in Bulgaria where possible.
- 05
Offer
Responsibilities, compensation and start date, agreed in writing.
Security and eligibility
Some roles involve work that is subject to security vetting and export control. Where a role requires it, we explain the process early, and an offer may depend on eligibility for national security clearance. You do not need a clearance to apply.
Vaubren is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from everyone with the skills for the role, whatever their background. If you need an adjustment during the hiring process, tell us and we will make it.