Application Engineer - Drone Team

Freefly Systems - Woodinville, WA (Onsite)

At Freefly, we do things differently. We push boundaries in some of the most challenging technical spaces, without external funding or third-party investments. Why? Because this gives us the freedom to prioritize long-term customer value (10+ years) and allows us to make decisions based on what's honest, efficient, and exciting. We focus on building extraordinary products and empowering our customers to achieve the extraordinary with them.

This path is demanding, and that’s why we need exceptional people—those who can outmaneuver, outthink, and out-innovate the competition. Freefly isn’t for those seeking ‘business as usual.’ We offer autonomy, ownership, and the liberty to innovate. In return, we expect boldness, honesty, and ambition.

• Wake up ready to create
  —you’re fueled by making.
• Thrive at the intersection of design and tech
  —engineering meets artistry.
• Perfect just enough to ship fast
  —done is the engine of more.
• Own what you build
  —no waiting for permission.
• Say “yes” first
  —then figure out the best approach.
• Love a challenge
  —you push boundaries and find a way.
• Automate the boring stuff
  —efficiency is everything.
• Use AI as a superpower
  —ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity? You wield them like a pro.
• Think in systems, not just code
  —scalable, elegant solutions over hand-crafted software.

At Freefly, we pride ourselves on developing everything in-house — from first concepts to fully integrated systems, across hardware and software. Here are a few of the cutting-edge areas we’re working on, and where you might be contributing:

• Drone Ecosystem Architecture:
  Ground-breaking embedded systems to support advanced flight dynamics, communication networks, and seamless sensor integration.
• Flight Autonomy:
  Designing novel control systems and navigation solutions to enable smarter, autonomous drone operations.
• Ground Control Station (GCS):
  Crafting the next generation of user interfaces for our GCS, which powers seamless drone operations for professionals — from cinematographers to industry inspectors.
• Payload Innovation:
  Integrating diverse payloads (including cameras, LiDAR, and sensors) that provide our users with wide-reaching capabilities, from mapping to real-time obstacle avoidance.
• User Applications:
  Developing applications for Android, iOS, and Web that allow intuitive, robust interactions between users and our advanced drone systems.
• Next-Generation Software Systems:
  Building comprehensive systems that tie everything together — from full-stack interfaces to flight control algorithms and real-time data management.

A key focus of this role is to help build the next generation of our Ground Control Station (GCS). You’ll work closely with our team to create a system that will push the boundaries of drone control, integrating advanced autonomy, seamless user interfaces, and high-performance hardware.

Our first drones were designed for professional cinematography, built on our custom flight controller. Today, our latest drones use the PX4 ecosystem, making our tools even more accessible. If you're ready to raise the bar and join our team, we’d love to chat!

We need your help to answer the following questions:

• System Integration:
  How can we design and develop the next generation of our Ground Control Station (GCS) to seamlessly integrate with our drone ecosystem, achieving an optimal balance between design, quality, time, and cost?
• Development Strategy:
  Should we pursue native development for superior performance in our applications, or leverage cross-platform technologies to enhance efficiency without compromising quality?
• Web Technologies:
  Can web technologies be effectively utilized in mobile development to accelerate our development cycle while maintaining top-tier UX and UI standards?
• Ecosystem Harmony:
  How can we ensure that every new component—be it a new app or GCS system—plays harmoniously within our existing ecosystem, enhancing rather than complicating the system?
• Innovation with Lean Teams:
  How can we continuously innovate at a high level with a minimal team size, ensuring that we out-innovate larger competitors?
• Spe…