--- title: 'Senior Robotics & Autonomy Engineer (Individual drone autonomy) at Swarmer' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-autonomy-engineer-individual-drone-autonomy-swarmer-kyiv-0td0ydewf1wr' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-03' --- # Senior Robotics & Autonomy Engineer (Individual drone autonomy) at Swarmer - **Company:** Swarmer - **Location:** Kyiv, Ukraine - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-11-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-03 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/swarmer/9f8ddb4c-98ad-4044-af83-7e4ec5a60d62 ## Job description Why we exist: Swarmer develops software that makes drones autonomous and allows them to operate together, in large, coordinated teams — no pilots needed. Our technology has been battle-tested in Ukraine — the world’s most intense proving ground for drone warfare. In March 2026, we became the first Ukrainian defense startup to go public on NASDAQ, following a $15M Series A — the largest investment in a Ukrainian defense tech company since the start of the war. Working at Swarmer means operating at the intersection of engineering rigor and frontline reality. The problems and environments are complex, and the stakes are very real. We built this software to enable democratic nations to defend themselves. If you are motivated by building resilient systems that matter and by seeing the direct impact of your work, you’ll find purpose here. Who we’re looking for: We’re looking for a Senior Robotics & Autonomy Engineer to design, develop, and optimize the onboard autonomy and perception systems for individual drones on our multi-vendor platform. You’ll work at the intersection of robotics, computer vision, and embedded systems, making sure each drone operates reliably and intelligently in GNSS-denied, EW-contested conditions. What you’ll do: - Develop new features in core domains: navigation, flight control, sensor fusion, and photogrammetry. - Adapt existing algorithms to new challenges, such as new sensor types or path planning with additional constraints. - Turn R&D algorithms into production-ready solutions: find bottlenecks, handle edge cases gracefully, and make them reliable in the field. - Optimize onboard performance for latency, power consumption, and data throughput on a real-time, resource-constrained companion computer. - Build and maintain simulation environments and digital twins, and measurably close the gap between simulation and real flights. - Support field tests for your features: work with our test-range team, stay available online during flights, and travel to the test site occasionally. What we need: - 4+ years in robotics or autonomy engineering, ideally with UAVs or mobile robots. - Strong Python on Linux. Experience with C/C++ and embedded systems is highly valued. - Solid grounding in linear algebra, control theory, probability, and numerical methods. - Hands-on experience with state estimation, path planning, or flight control algorithms. - Practical knowledge of drone physics. - PX4, ArduPilot, or another MAVLink flight stack. - Basic computer vision or photogrammetry. - Basic electronics: reading schematics, using a multimeter, debugging sensors and power. - English at B2 level or higher. Would be an advantage: - Contributions to PX4 or ArduPilot, or custom firmware changes. - Airframe integration: sensor calibration, tuning, flight controller setup. - VIO, visual navigation, or navigation integrity in GNSS-denied conditions. - Experience in defense or EW-contested environments. - You’ve built, flown, crashed and debugged your own drones. What you’ll get: - A chance to shape the core autonomy and perception systems at the heart of Ukraine’s defense tech ecosystem and its international expansion. - Fast-paced, high-stakes environment where your contributions yield immediate, tangible impact on the frontline. - Agile, highly skilled team driven by engineering rigor and mission-critical goals. - Attractive compensation package including 20 paid vacation days, comprehensive health insurance, and paid sick leave. - Flexible working arrangements depending on operational and security requirements. - Benefits of the defense sector (military reservation, etc.). What the hiring process looks like: ✔️ Recruiter Screen → ✔️ Technical Interview → ✔️ Management Interview → ✔️ Security check → ✔️ Offer Ready to Apply? ## About Swarmer ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Swarmer develops combat-driven, vendor-agnostic collaborative autonomy software that enables one operator to control hundreds of unmanned systems in real time. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A; has filed for Nasdaq IPO) - **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, USA (with operations in Ukraine, Poland, and Estonia) - **Founded**: May 2023 - **Founders**: Serhii Kupriienko (Global CEO) and Alex Fink (President & US CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Defense technology / Autonomous systems - **Target customers**: Military and defense organizations (B2G) - **Mission or purpose**: To provide intelligent swarming software that allows large numbers of low-cost unmanned systems to operate collectively as one coherent, resilient force, keeping humans out of harm’s way. ## Products & Services - **Swarmer Software Platform**: A modular, platform-agnostic software stack for autonomous navigation, real-time combat data fusion, AI-driven collaboration, and scalable autonomy. Features encrypted over-the-air updates. Deployed on over 100,000 real-world combat missions in Ukraine since April 2024. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company; filed for IPO but terms undisclosed) - **Key Metric**: Total funding of $15 million (Series A, first for a Ukrainian startup) – [aviationweek.com](https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/swarmer-takes-15-million-series-first-ukrainian-startup) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not individually named in available sources; has signed MOUs with Powerus and contracts with SkyKnight. - **Growth Signals**: - More than 100,000 combat missions flown by nearly 50 units under active EW/GPS-denied conditions. - Filed for Nasdaq IPO in 2025/2026. - Rapid headcount growth and active hiring across engineering, sales, operations, and product roles in multiple countries. ## Competitive Advantages - **Real-world validation**: Software evolved on the battlefield in Ukraine, not in a lab – terabytes of proprietary combat data inform ML models. - **Vendor-agnostic**: Operates at the intelligence layer, independent of any single hardware supplier or platform. - **Resilience**: Designed for contested, degraded, GPS-denied environments with continuous over-the-air updates. - **Scalability**: One operator can control hundreds of autonomous systems simultaneously. ## Strategic Focus - **Current priorities**: Scaling the platform for multi-domain operations, expanding into new defense markets, and completing a public listing on Nasdaq. Continued investment in AI-driven autonomy and real-time coordination. - **Direction for growth**: From frontline Ukrainian operations to a global defense technology company, with a focus on collaborative autonomy across air, land, sea, and space. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Combat-tested, mission-driven environment where software directly impacts human safety and national security. Emphasis on "Send drones. Keep humans." - **Remote/hybrid policy**: Roles available across EU, USA, Ukraine, and Estonia; some positions listed as "Remote Texas" and "Remote" – hybrid likely depending on location. - **Notable perks/engineering culture**: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI and autonomy software that is actively deployed in real-world combat. Rapid growth phase means significant impact and career advancement. Engineering leadership, product, and pilot roles available. - **Current hiring areas**: Engineering Leadership (EU & USA), Sales & Marketing Leadership (EU & USA), Engineers & Pilots (Ukraine & EU), Operations (Ukraine & EU), Product Roles (EU & Ukraine). Talent pool open for future roles – [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/swarmer) ## Sources 1. [getswarmer.com](https://getswarmer.com/) – Company homepage and capabilities 2. [getswarmer.com/about](https://getswarmer.com/about/) – Company history, leadership, mission 3. [investors.getswarmer.com](https://investors.getswarmer.com/) – Investor relations, news releases, IPO filing 4. [aviationweek.com](https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/swarmer-takes-15-million-series-first-ukrainian-startup) – Series A funding announcement 5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/swarmer](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/swarmer) – Job listings and hiring areas 6. [swarmer.peopleforce.io/careers](https://swarmer.peopleforce.io/careers) – Alternative careers page with talent pool ## Other roles at Swarmer - [Senior Robotics & Autonomy Engineer (Collaborative drone autonomy)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-autonomy-engineer-collaborative-drone-autonomy-swarmer-kyiv-8rg3gp03gy00) — Kyiv, Ukraine - [Director of Financial Reporting & Analysis](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-financial-reporting-analysis-swarmer-austin-sb0g7js4wqah) — Austin, TX - [Sales Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-manager-swarmer-kyiv-n3n00k2m9xj0) — Kyiv, Ukraine - [Office Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/office-manager-swarmer-lviv-zbtnnyt7d6c5) — Lviv, Ukraine - [OSINT Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/osint-analyst-swarmer-warsaw-m54xbr2z8bth) — Warsaw, Poland - [Office Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/office-manager-swarmer-warsaw-s72mvg485vq0) — Warsaw, Poland - [Senior Data Scientist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-data-scientist-swarmer-kyiv-rknh0ef0da68) — Kyiv, Ukraine - [AI-Native Product Design Lead (UX/UI)](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-native-product-design-lead-ux-ui-swarmer-kyiv-8aea83nk3q9f) — Kyiv, Ukraine - [Flight Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-program-manager-swarmer-warsaw-67ejqvkk34m3) — Warsaw, Poland - [Drone Engineer - Software](https://feeny.ai/job/drone-engineer-software-swarmer-warsaw-thgwpfks7cff) — Warsaw, Poland