Software Engineer, QGC

Software Engineer, QGC# Software Engineer, QGCSLC, UT 84115## Description##
** Position Summary**---Teal Drones is looking for a hands-on Android Engineer (Qt/C++ / QGround

Control) to own and evolve the Android-based ground control station experience for our drone platforms. This role focuses on developing, customizing, and maintaining QGround

Control (QGC) for mission planning, telemetry, and real-time vehicle control on Android devices.

You will be responsible for building, debugging, and optimizing QGC on Android—ensuring reliable communication with drones, smooth UI/UX performance, and seamless integration with onboard systems.

The questions you’ll be asked every day are ones like:
Why is MAVLink telemetry dropping on this Android device under load? How do we extend QGC with a custom plugin without breaking upstream compatibility? What’s the fastest way to debug a Qt signal/slot issue on an ARM
64 Android build?

This is not a role for someone who has only built standard Android apps. We need someone comfortable working across Qt/C++, Android internals, MAVLink communication, and real-time systems in field-deployed environments.

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** Essential Duties and Responsibilities**--
- ** QGround

Control (QGC) Development
*** Own and maintain Teal’s fork of QGround

Control, including feature development, bug fixes, and upstream merges.
* Extend QGC using Qt (C++ and QML) to support custom drone behaviors, mission workflows, and UI components.
* Develop and maintain custom plugins for vehicle support, telemetry handling, and mission control.
* Debug and resolve issues in Qt signal/slot interactions, threading, and event loops.
* Maintain compatibility with upstream QGC while managing downstream customizations.
** Android Platform Integration
*** Build, package, and optimize QGround

Control for Android (ARM
64), including APK/AAB generation and deployment workflows.
* Debug Android-specific issues such as lifecycle handling, permissions, USB/serial communication, and network instability.
* Integrate MAVLink communication over multiple transports (UDP, TCP, USB, Serial) on Android devices.
* Optimize performance for real-time telemetry, video streaming, and map rendering on resource-constrained devices.
* Ensure compatibility across a range of Android hardware (tablets, rugged devices, and field controllers).
** MAVLink & Drone Communication
*** Implement and debug MAVLink message handling, routing, and reliability under varying network conditions.
* Diagnose telemetry dropouts, latency issues, and message parsing errors.
* Extend MAVLink functionality for custom payloads or vehicle behaviors.
* Collaborate with firmware engineers to ensure end-to-end communication reliability between drone and ground control systems.
** UI/UX & Qt/QML Development
*** Design and implement responsive, real-time UI components using Qt/QML.
* Optimize rendering performance for maps, overlays, and telemetry dashboards.
* Customize mission planning interfaces and flight data visualization.
* Ensure usability in field conditions (sunlight readability, touch responsiveness, and offline operation).
** Build Systems & Tooling
*** Maintain and improve build systems for QGC across Qt and Android tool chains.
* Manage Qt versions, Android SDK/NDK dependencies, and cross-compilation workflows.
* Automate builds and testing pipelines using CI/CD systems (e.g., Jenkins or Git Lab CI).
* Debug build failures across C++, Qt, and Android layers.
** Reliability & Performance
*** Profile and optimize CPU, memory, and battery usage on Android devices.
* Debug crashes, ANRs, and memory leaks across C++ and Java/Kotlin boundaries.
* Ensure stable operation during long-duration missions and intermittent connectivity.
* Implement logging, diagnostics, and telemetry capture for field debugging.
** Security & Compliance
*** Ensure secure communication channels between Android devices and drones.
* Manage permissions, secure storage, and device access policies on Android.
* Support compliance requirements for government and defense-related deployments.
** Collaboration & Field Support
*** Work closely with embedded, firmware, and flight-test teams to debug real-world issues.
* Support…