Software Engineer, Android Native; C++​/NDK

Job Details

Teal Drones is looking for a hands‑on Android Engineer (C++/NDK) to own and evolve the Android‑based ground control station experience for our drone platforms. This role focuses on building, debugging, and optimizing native C++ systems on Android for mission planning, telemetry, and real‑time vehicle control.

You will work inside a QGround

Control (QGC/Qt) environment, but we are hiring first for strong C++ engineering depth. If you are excellent in C++ and Android native development, we expect you can ramp quickly on QGC/Qt specifics.

The questions you’ll be asked every day are ones like:
Why is MAVLink telemetry dropping under load on this Android device? How do we improve reliability and latency across UDP/TCP/USB/Serial paths? What’s the fastest way to debug native threading, memory, and performance issues on ARM
64 Android in field conditions?

We are looking for someone comfortable across Android internals, C++/NDK, networking, hardware interfaces, and real‑time systems. Prior Qt/QGC experience is valuable, but not required if you bring strong adjacent experience.

• Own and maintain native C++ ground control functionality, including feature development, bug fixes, and long‑term stability.
• Build and optimize C++ components using the Android NDK to support real‑time mission workflows and vehicle control.
• Develop and maintain robust JNI boundaries between Android and native layers, with strong ownership of memory, threading, and lifecycle behavior.
• Debug and resolve issues in multithreaded native code, event loops, and cross‑language integration points.
• Contribute C++ changes within QGC/Qt architecture while maintaining compatibility with upstream QGC.

• Build, package, and optimize ARM
  64 Android applications, including APK/AAB generation, signing, 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).

• 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.

• Design and implement responsive, real‑time UI components for mission‑critical workflows.
• Optimize rendering performance for maps, overlays, and telemetry dashboards.
• Customize mission planning interfaces and flight data visualization in QGC/Qt and Android‑integrated surfaces.
• Ensure usability in field conditions (sunlight readability, touch responsiveness, and offline operation).

• Maintain and improve build systems across C++, 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 native, Qt, and Android layers.

• 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.

• 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.

• Work closely with embedded, firmware, and flight‑test teams to debug real‑world issues.
• S…