EMBEDDED ENGINEER I

Who We Are

Pinaak Aerial Systems Private Limited is a drone technology startup developing indigenous, mission-configurable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms for defence applications. We design modular drone systems with interchangeable payload capabilities for surveillance, reconnaissance and payload-delivery missions.

Pinaak Aerial Systems has collaborated with multiple Indian Army battalions to develop specialized payload-dropping drone systems and mission-specific UAV solutions tailored to operational requirements.

By developing indigenous flight-control systems, secure communication technologies and modular payload architectures, we aim to strengthen Indias self-reliance through secure, scalable and mission-ready drone solutions.

About the role

As an Embedded Engineer I, you will work with the Embedded Systems and Flight Systems team to develop, integrate, test and debug firmware for UAV flight controllers, payload controllers and other onboard embedded systems.

You will contribute to well-defined firmware modules, peripheral drivers, sensor interfaces, communication protocols and validation activities under the guidance of experienced engineers. You will work with STM32 microcontrollers, bare-metal firmware, RTOS-based systems, UAV sensors and flight stacks such as ArduPilot or PX4.

This is an early-career, hands-on engineering role for candidates with strong C/C++ programming logic, sound embedded-system fundamentals and a genuine interest in UAV and defence technology. The role requires patience in debugging, attention to detail and an understanding that even a small firmware defect can affect aircraft reliability and flight safety.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop and maintain assigned firmware modules for UAV flight controllers, payload controllers and onboard embedded systems under technical guidance.
- Write, test and debug Embedded C/C++ code for STM32 H7, F4 or similar ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers.
- Develop and integrate peripheral drivers and interfaces for UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, USB, ADC, PWM, GPIO, timers, DMA and watchdogs.
- Integrate UAV sensors and subsystems such as IMUs, barometers, magnetometers, GNSS receivers, optical-flow sensors, LiDAR, rangefinders, telemetry modules, ESCs and servos.
- Work with FreeRTOS, ChibiOS or bare-metal firmware for task execution, interrupt handling, timing, data acquisition and device-state management.
- Contribute to ArduPilot, PX4 or proprietary flight-stack configuration, integration, testing and debugging.
- Support the integration, calibration and validation of sensor-fusion and state-estimation functions such as EKF2 or EKF3 under guidance.
- Assist with the implementation and testing of attitude, altitude and position-control functions for multirotor, fixed-wing and hybrid-VTOL platforms.
- Implement and test communication using protocols such as MAVLink, UAVCAN/DroneCAN, CAN, SBUS, CRSF and serial telemetry.
- Support actuator-control interfaces involving PWM, DSHOT, ESCs, motors and servos.
- Write firmware with focus on deterministic behaviour, traceability, maintainability, debuggability and flight reliability.
- Implement and test basic reliability mechanisms such as communication timeouts, retries, watchdog recovery, sensor-health checks, fault reporting and failsafe-state transitions.
- Use UART logs, JTAG/SWD, logic analysers,



oscilloscopes, flight logs and protocol traces to diagnose assigned firmware and hardware-integration issues.
- Participate in board bring-up, peripheral validation and hardwarefirmware debugging for prototype and revised PCB assemblies.
- Configure and execute Software-in-the-Loop and Hardware-in-the-Loop test scenarios using ArduPilot SITL, Gazebo or equivalent simulation environments.
- Support bench testing, ground testing and flight trials by collecting logs, reproducing failures, documenting observations and implementing assigned corrections.
- Assist in firmware validation across temperature, vibration, EMI and other environmental conditions in coordination with hardware, testing and certification teams.
- Contribute to DGCA Type Certification activities through test execution, result documentation, requirements traceability and evidence collection.
- Participate in code reviews, unit testing, regression testing, configuration management and technical documentation.
- Follow coding standards, Git discipline, issue-tracking processes, build procedures and controlled firmware-release practices.
- Work collaboratively with firmware, hardware, control systems, mechanical, aerodynamics, QA and flight-test teams.

Technology Exposure

Embedded Platforms and Tools

- STM32 H7/F4 or similar ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, STM32CubeIDE, GCC toolchains, Git, JTAG/SWD, serial debugging tools, logic analyser, oscilloscope and flight-log analysis tools.

Programming and Real-Time Systems

- C, Embedded C, C++, bare-metal firmware, FreeRTOS, ChibiOS, interrupts, DMA, timers, task scheduling, synchronization, memory management and real-time firmware fundamentals.

Sensors and Subsystems

- IMUs such as ICM-42688 and BMI088, barometers, magnetometers, u-blox F9P/M9N GNSS modules, optical-flow sensors, LiDAR, rangefinders, ESCs, motors, servos and payload controllers.

Interfaces and UAV Protocols

- SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, USB, ADC, PWM, GPIO, DSHOT, MAVLink, UAVCAN/DroneCAN, SBUS, CRSF and serial telemetry.

Flight Systems

- ArduPilot, PX4, flight-controller fundamentals, sensor calibration, EKF2/EKF3 exposure, sensor fusion, state estimation, attitude/altitude/position control, failsafe functions and multirotor, fixed-wing or hybrid-VTOL systems.

Testing and Simulation

- Software-in-the-Loop, Hardware-in-the-Loop, ArduPilot SITL, Gazebo, bench testing, regression testing, flight-log analysis and environmental validation.

Additional Exposure Embedded Linux fundamentals, Jetson Orin, Raspberry Pi CM4, RF modules such as SX1280, PCB bring-up, bootloader concepts, secure firmware fundamentals, AES-256 and cryptographic protocol basics.

Prior hands-on experience in every listed technology is not mandatory. Strong programming logic, embedded fundamentals, practical project exposure, debugging ability and learning potential are more important.

Required Skills

- Strong programming logic in C or Embedded C, with understanding of pointers,



memory, structures, data handling, control flow and state machines.
- Working knowledge of C++ and object-oriented programming fundamentals.
- Good understanding of microcontrollers, embedded systems and digital electronics.
- Hands-on exposure to at least one microcontroller platform such as STM32, ESP32, nRF52, Arduino or an equivalent ARM-based platform.
- Ability to write, debug and explain embedded code independently for a clearly defined requirement.
- Basic understanding of bare-metal and RTOS-based firmware development.
- Understanding of interrupts, timers, communication peripherals and hardwarefirmware interaction.
- Hands-on exposure to sensor or communication-module integration through academic, internship or professional projects.
- Ability to interpret firmware logs, sensor data, hardware signals and communication traces.
- Structured problem-solving and debugging ability.
- Strong observation, attention to detail and process discipline.
- Willingness to participate in bench testing, outdoor flight trials and failure investigation.
- Ability to remain calm and methodical while troubleshooting device-level or flight-test issues.
- Good communication, documentation and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Genuine interest in building a long-term career in embedded systems, UAVs and defence technology.

Preferred Profile

- B.E./B.Tech in Electronics, Electronics and Telecommunication, Electronics and Computer Engineering, Electrical, Instrumentation, Aerospace, Aeronautical, Robotics and Automation, Embedded Systems or an equivalent discipline.
- 1–2 years of relevant experience in embedded firmware development. Strong candidates with substantial UAV, robotics or embedded-system project experience may also be considered.
- Academic, internship or professional experience involving STM32, flight controllers, sensors, communication modules, robotics, drones or autonomous systems.
- Exposure to ArduPilot, PX4, MAVLink, DroneCAN, FreeRTOS, ChibiOS or Embedded Linux will be advantageous.
- Exposure to IMUs, GNSS, ESCs, motors, servos, telemetry radios or payload-control systems will be preferred.
- Familiarity with Git, debugging tools, simulation environments and structured testing practices will be beneficial.
- Candidates who are curious, disciplined, ownership-driven and comfortable working in a fast-moving product-development environment.

What We Value We value engineers with strong fundamentals, sincere execution and a genuine desire to build depth in embedded and UAV systems. The ideal candidate should be willing to learn from experienced engineers, take ownership of assigned modules and patiently investigate problems until the underlying cause is understood.

Because Pinaak’s systems operate in demanding field environments, we expect engineers to treat reliability, testing, documentation and process discipline as essential parts of firmware development. This role is intended for someone who wants to develop into a dependable UAV firmware engineer through hands-on coding, integration, debugging and flight-test exposure.

Additional Information

Role Title: Embedded Engineer I

Department: Embedded Systems

Location: Pune

Experience: 1–2 years

Industry: UAV, Aerospace and Defence Technology

Employment Type: Full time, Permanent

📌 Embedded Engineer I (Pune)
🏢 Pinaak Aerial Systems
📍 Pune