The opportunity
Engineering Manager
Location: Kyiv and office in Western part of Ukraine
Work format: Hybrid, with regular presence at the team's location.
Business travel: Approximately 1–2 trips per month.
Our client, a Ukrainian defence technology company, is looking for an Engineering Manager to lead a multidisciplinary team and take responsibility for its development, delivery, and technical decisions.
The team integrates hardware and software solutions into unmanned aerial platforms and manages several projects in parallel, from integration preparation to testing and operational use. It currently includes around 10 specialists, with plans to grow to 15–20.
About the Company
The company develops drone autonomy technologies. According to the company, its components are codified in accordance with NATO standards and used by more than 50 units of Ukraine's Defence Forces.
Responsibilities
Lead the team, including hiring, professional development, feedback, and staffing decisions.
Own delivery: set priorities, allocate resources, manage timelines, and remove blockers.
Ensure sound technical decisions are made by drawing on expertise within the team and across the company.
Coordinate engineers across disciplines and their collaboration with adjacent teams.
Work with the product manager and partners to clarify needs, align expectations, and resolve integration issues.
Participate in key site visits and trials to support the team and understand how products are used.
Contribute to hands-on engineering work where needed, maintaining a deep understanding of the technical context.
Required Skills and Experience
A strong engineering foundation and practical development experience.
Experience leading an engineering team with responsibility for both people and results.
Proficiency in Python or C++.
Ability to coordinate specialists across disciplines and find solutions beyond your own area of expertise.
Strong negotiation, people management, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to earn the trust of the team and partners, explain the reasoning behind decisions, and act under uncertainty.
Willingness and ability to learn a new technical domain quickly.
Willingness to travel for work.
Nice to Have
Experience with UAVs, robotics, autonomous systems, or embedded systems.
Understanding of flight control systems and hardware–software integration.
Experience with ArduPilot, PX4, Betaflight, or other flight control systems.
Experience leading teams spanning software development, hardware integration, machine learning, and testing.
Participation in field trials and direct collaboration with users of technical products.
What the Company Offers
Influence over team development, ways of working, and engineering decisions.
Work on technologies that strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities.
Compensation agreed individually based on the candidate's experience and expectations.
Formal employment within the Diia.City framework.
Potential eligibility for a mobilisation deferment, subject to applicable legal requirements.
24 calendar days of paid annual leave.
An additional 14 calendar days of paid leave for veterans.
Paid sick leave in accordance with applicable legislation.
Accident insurance from the first working day.
Medical insurance after successful completion of the probation period.
Potential reimbursement of learning expenses in accordance with company policies.