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Software Engineering Manager – Applications

San Luis Obispo, California; United States

At Zone 5 Technologies, we're redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems. Our team of engineers and innovators is developing cutting-edge autonomous solutions that push the boundaries of UAS technology - solving complex challenges that matter.

We're building the future of UAS capabilities, and we're looking for exceptional talent to join us. If you're driven by hard problems, energized by rapid innovation, and ready to make an impact on next-generation flight systems, you belong here.

We're looking for a people-first Software Engineering manager to oversee the development, integration, and maintenance of software systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This role involves leading a team of software engineers, collaborating with cross-functional teams (hardware, systems, and flight operations), and ensuring that all software complies with safety, performance, and regulatory requirements. The candidate will be responsible for the entire software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering through design, implementation, and validation.  

Software Engineering Manager – Applications (Desktop & Web) – UAV Systems 

Responsibilities:

  • Team Leadership & Management: Build, mentor, and manage a multidisciplinary team of software engineers responsible for developing mission-critical desktop and web applications supporting UAV operations, flight planning, fleet management, and data visualization. 
  • Technical Strategy & Architecture: Define and oversee application architecture across desktop, web, cloud, and data platforms, ensuring scalability, performance, usability, and secure integration with UAV systems and backend services. 
  • Product Delivery & Planning: Plan and prioritize development roadmaps, allocate engineering resources, establish delivery timelines, and ensure execution of mission-critical applications such as ground control stations (GCS), operator interfaces, mission-planning tools, and post-processing applications. 
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with embedded/firmware teams, systems engineering, product management, and flight sciences to ensure seamless integration between user-facing software, UAV platforms, and backend systems. 
  • Quality, Verification & User Experience: Champion quality engineering practices including automated testing, UI/UX standards, code reviews, performance benchmarking, and usability testing to produce reliable, safety-critical operator interfaces. 
  • Security & Compliance: Ensure application security, data integrity, and adherence to aviation and cybersecurity requirements, including appropriate handling of flight data, telemetry, mission plans, user roles, and secure communications. 
  • Process & Workflow Improvement: Working with DevOps, drive continuous improvement initiatives for CI/CD workflows, deployment processes, code quality, user feedback loops, and documentation standards. 
  • Innovation & Technology Adoption: Evaluate emerging UI frameworks, cloud platforms, telemetry visualization technologies, and mission-management tools to advance application capabilities and operator experience. 
  • Documentation Oversight: Ensure production of high-quality product documentation, user guides, API documentation, and support materials. 

Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (Master’s degree preferred). 
  • Minimum of 7+ years of software engineering experience, including at least 3 years in a management or technical leadership role. 
  • Proven experience leading full-stack, desktop, or web application teams, ideally in mission-critical, real-time, or data-intensive with in an Aerospace and Defense environment. 
  • Expertise with frameworks and technologies used in modern desktop and web application development (e.g., Electron, Qt, .NET, WPF, React, Angular, Vue, Node.js, etc.). 
  • Strong understanding of service-oriented architectures, cloud services, distributed systems, APIs, and data storage solutions. 
  • Experience with DevOps tools and CI/CD workflows (Git, GitHub/GitLab, Docker, pipelines, automated test frameworks). 
  • Demonstrated ability to manage user-facing platform development with a focus on performance, usability, reliability, and operator workflow. 
  • Strong communication, leadership, stakeholder alignment, and team-building skills.

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Experience developing operator interfaces for robotics, UAVs, industrial automation, aerospace, or real-time control systems. 
  • Familiarity with mapping, geospatial, telemetry streaming, or mission-planning frameworks (GIS, WebGL, Cesium, OpenLayers, Leaflet, etc.). 

Pay range for this role

$200,000 - $220,000 USD

What's in it for you:

Benefits: 

  • Competitive total compensation package 
  • Comprehensive benefit package options include medical, dental, vision, life, and more.
  • 401k with company-match 
  • 4 weeks of paid time off each year
  • 12 annual company holidays

Why Join Zone 5 Technologies?

  • Innovative Environment: Work on cutting-edge technology that is shaping the future of defense and aerospace.
  • Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
  • Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

If you are passionate about unmanned aircraft technology and want to be a part of a dynamic and growing company, we would love to hear from you. Apply today and join the Zone 5 Technologies team! 

Note about our Texas roles: we are in the process of opening a location on the mid-west side of the DFW metro region. Roles in Texas will initially work remotely and then be expected to be onsite when that location opens in 2026.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Zone 5 Technologies is a federal contractor and participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. As required by law, we will verify the identity and employment authorization of all new employees using the E-Verify system. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify: https://www.e-verify.gov.

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