You are joining an international deep-tech startup working on advanced drone technology.
The founding context is shaped by real-world urgency — the defence relevance is not theoretical, and the technology is needed today.
The company operates precisely at the intersection of: research | real-world application | go-to-market execution
This is a setup for engineers who:
are comfortable operating under uncertainty
take ownership and drive things forward
understand that technology only matters when it performs outside controlled environments
You should therefore ask yourself honestly: Do I want the technology I build to be used in a dual-use context, including defence applications?
Salzburg, München, Klagenfurt, Graz, Linz, Villach, Österreich
Software Development
RESPONSIBILITIES
A core part of your work is the analysis of real drone flights
When you implement a change, it is deployed to the system, tested in real-world conditions, and you verify whether it performs reliably outside of ideal scenarios.
You will work on concrete questions such as:
Why does the drone slowly drift away from its planned trajectory after several kilometers of flight?
Why does the position estimation degrade during aggressive flight maneuvers?
Why does the camera provide different motion information than the IMU?
To solve these problems, you will analyze:
Flight logs and reconstructed trajectories
IMU, camera, GNSS/GPS, LiDAR, and speed-sensor data
Drift and odometry behavior
Kalman-filter states, residuals, and sensor-fusion outputs
Timing, synchronization, and data pipelines between different hardware components
SKILLSET
You have a strong academic background (bachelor/master), typically in robotics, computer science, technical physics, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline
You bring at least 3 years of experience with state estimation and localization algorithms in real-world robotic systems
You have experience in sensor fusion and localization: Kalman filters (EKF/UKF), visual-inertial odometry (VIO), IMU data, GNSS/GPS, camera, or LiDAR data in real-world applications
You are proficient in embedded software development, with C++ skills and Linux-based environments, as well as experience using Python for flight-log analysis, debugging, and data analysis
You possess solid mathematical foundation and are able to reason about models and uncertainty in complex systems
You are fluent in English and comfortable collaborating in an international team; knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian is a plus
WHAT YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO
Startup character, but financially secured for the coming years, supported in part by Austrian funding programs and investors
You can work from anywhere; meetings for technical exchange are held remotely
You will join a genuinely supportive and kind team — a place where different life realities are understood and respected
At the same time, the team works hard because it knows what it is building for: a strong mix of Silicon Valley mindset and pragmatism
Additional
If a specific job title is important to you, that can be aligned - what matters more is the output
Compensation is open for discussion; while this is a startup, salary is not just base pay — let’s discuss overall packages and individual needs openly
BENEFITS
SALARY RANGE
Gehaltsspanne Minimum 4600, Maximum 6000
4600
6000
Mindestgehalt
MINIMUM SALARY
EUR 4600 gross / month (on a full-time basis)
YOUR POSSIBLE SALERY
The salary is between EUR 4600 and EUR 6000 gross / month (on a full-time basis), depending on qualifications and professional experience.
SOUNDS INTERESTING?
APPLY NOW and find out more about the position! If you have any questions in advance, Verena Herrmann v.herrmann@kern-partner.at looks forward to hearing from you.
