As a Senior Software Engineer at Skyways, you'll develop and optimize software for flight control and navigation, ensuring customer success through hands-on collaboration, field observation, and feedback integration.
At Skyways, we are building a new form of air transportation—what some call the flying car. Backed by fresh funding and a major STRATFI contract from the U.S. Air Force, we’re uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of aviation innovation. Our fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a breakthrough opportunity to move goods—and soon, people—in ways that are faster, safer, and more efficient than ever before. Unlike anyone else in the industry, our strategy blends rapid iteration with real-world deployment, and it’s already paying off.
Skyways is a fast-growing startup based in Austin, TX, supported by top Silicon Valley investors including Y Combinator. Though we’re early-stage, our vehicles are already in production and in the hands of paying commercial customers (see here and here). With robust financial backing and government partnerships accelerating our momentum, there’s never been a better time to join us and help build the future of transportation!
The Opportunity
As a Software Engineer on the Customer Success team, your work will directly ensure that our customers succeed with Skyways’ aircraft. You will build, maintain, and optimize the software that powers flight control, autonomous navigation, and operator applications. This is not an isolated coding role. You will spend time observing and working alongside customers in the field to understand their operations, challenges, and workflows. The feedback you collect will guide your software design decisions and help create solutions that are intuitive, reliable, and impactful.
You will have the chance to see your code in action in real missions, troubleshooting, iterating, and improving the systems that our customers rely on. Travel is part of the job, allowing you to experience firsthand how Skyways aircraft are deployed in commercial and government environments.
What You’ll Do:
- Develop and maintain flight control, autonomous navigation, and mission execution software with the customer experience in mind.
- Build operator facing mobile and desktop applications that simplify complex UAV operations.
- Partner directly with customers to understand their workflows and operational needs.
- Debug and optimize software in both simulated and live flight environments.
- Travel to customer sites to observe operations, provide technical support, and collect feedback.
- Collaborate closely with engineering, GNC, and hardware teams to integrate solutions across the stack.
What You Bring:
- 5+ years of software engineering experience with C++, Python, Javascript or related languages.
- Strong problem solving skills with real time, safety critical systems.
- Ability to engage directly with customers and translate operational challenges into software solutions.
- Clear communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
- Excitement about aviation, drones, or autonomy.
- Willingness to travel regularly to customer sites.
Bonus Points:
- Experience with Ardupilot, PX4, or MavLink.
- Prior customer facing technical role.
- Background in aerospace or robotics.
Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!
Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.
Top Skills
C++
JavaScript
Python
Skyways Austin, Texas, USA Office
Austin, Texas, United States
Similar Jobs
eCommerce • Fintech • Food • Mobile • Social Impact
The Senior Software Engineer will design scalable systems for financial transactions, ensure system reliability, and oversee technical implementation, while mentoring engineers.
Top Skills:
DjangoExpressFastifyRuby on Rails
Automotive • Big Data • Information Technology • Robotics • Software • Transportation • Manufacturing
The Senior Software Engineer leads the development of custom software solutions, ensuring quality and scalability while collaborating within a hybrid team environment.
Top Skills:
AzureGraphQLJavaJavaScriptPythonQuarkusReact
Automotive • Big Data • Information Technology • Robotics • Software • Transportation • Manufacturing
This role involves building and maintaining technical integration solutions using MuleSoft, collaborating with leads, and applying best practices in integration for GM's digital commerce platform.
Top Skills:
Anypoint PlatformApi-Led ConnectivityMavenMulesoftMunitRest ApisSoap Web Services
What you need to know about the Austin Tech Scene
Austin has a diverse and thriving tech ecosystem thanks to home-grown companies like Dell and major campuses for IBM, AMD and Apple. The state’s flagship university, the University of Texas at Austin, is known for its engineering school, and the city is known for its annual South by Southwest tech and media conference. Austin’s tech scene spans many verticals, but it’s particularly known for hardware, including semiconductors, as well as AI, biotechnology and cloud computing. And its food and music scene, low taxes and favorable climate has made the city a destination for tech workers from across the country.
Key Facts About Austin Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 180,500; 13.7% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Dell, IBM, AMD, Apple, Alphabet
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, hardware, cloud computing, software, healthtech
- Funding Landscape: $4.5 billion in VC funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Live Oak Ventures, Austin Ventures, Hinge Capital, Gigafund, KdT Ventures, Next Coast Ventures, Silverton Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: University of Texas, Southwestern University, Texas State University, Center for Complex Quantum Systems, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, Texas Advanced Computing Center


