Work with cutting edge AI technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some of world’s most challenging technical problems in the rapidly growing counterdrone sector.
Our customers are some of the most demanding in the world, including militaries, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure, law enforcement and many others. The counterdrone sector is rapidly changing, with DroneShield being in an arms race against state-backed drone manufacturers globally.
With one of the largest listed defence company market capitalisations in Australia, now part of the ASX200 index, DroneShield is experiencing a period of hypergrowth. Revenue has surged from A$57 million in 2024 to over A$190 million in 2025, representing growth of more than 400% year-on-year, with record profitability and cashflow. The total addressable global market for counterdrone is assessed at approximately $100 billion, and is currently at the nascent stage with much of the growth still to come, with DroneShield well positioned as a global market leader, and the only public listed pure-play business in this sector.
The company has grown from 11 employees in 2017 to over 450 staff globally today, and is on track to reach around 550 by the end of 2026. This expansion includes investment of over A$50 million annually in R&D, a global pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, and continuous scaling of production capacity to meet accelerating demand.
The role is based at DroneShield’s central Sydney headquarters. Overseas on-the-ground presence includes Virginia (USA), Netherlands, Denmark, Mexico and Dubai, as well as distributors in over 70 countries worldwide.
About the role
DroneShield is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join the team in Sydney, NSW. The primary focus is developing and optimising DroneShield's RFAI-ATK Disruptor capability - building Python based systems software that spans API design through to low-level hardware control, including interfacing with FPGA and RF subsystems. This is not traditional embedded development, but it is deeply hardware-adjacent, bridging the full vertical from service interfaces to device-level control.
You'll join a team of 5-10 engineers, working closely with ML/AI, Data Science, RF and infrastructure teams to drive real-world disruption performance improvements. The work is a mix of building new capabilities and optimising existing systems across research, development, testing, and device production. You'll be expected to take ownership of subsystems or product areas and lead technical decisions within the team, while raising the bar for those around you through quality code and sound engineering practice. The role is primarily desk-based, though you'll be working with software that ultimately controls physical hardware in the field.
It's an exceptional opportunity for a results-driven, passionate individual, in a new and rapidly growing market.
We're looking for experience with modern Python development practices including type-safe data modelling, async programming, test-driven development, API contract definition and serialisation, SQL databases, and packaging and dependency management. Familiarity with interface design patterns and writing clean, maintainable abstractions is valued. Knowledge of hardware interfaces, RF systems, or signal processing concepts is a plus - whether from professional experience or personal interest. You don't need to tick every box - if you're a strong Python engineer with solid fundamentals and a willingness to learn, we'd still like to hear from you.
Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations
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Implement new software features from concept to delivery, for example gathering user requirement to diagnosing issues in production.
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Interface with Front-End and API teams
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Utilize leading industry practice to deliver and maintain robust and efficient APIs for seamless integration with external and internal systems.
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Advance the development of software architecture design processes within the team. Ensure software is designed for reliability, and performance on resource constrained targets.
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Bring a test-driven development mindset
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Documentation of software architecture and processes
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Work with the engineering team to ensure reliable and robust end to end system operation
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Cross-disciplinary communication and requirements gathering across RF, hardware, firmware, test, and operations teams.
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Provide technical guidance and mentorship to team members
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
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BS degree in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Electronic Engineer or similar technical field of study or equivalent practical experience.
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Minimum 5-7 years’ experience in related roles. Roles could include:
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Software Engineer
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Embedded Software Engineer
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Firmware Engineer
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Python Developer
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Knowledge of the following would also be essential:
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Software Python software engineering skills
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API design
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Software architecture and design patterns (event loops, dependency injection, object-oriented principles)
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Inter-device and inter-process communication using gRPC, REST, raw TCP/UDP, or other high performance messaging protocols.
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Comfortable on the command line in a Linux first environment
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Development tools including Git, Jira, Confluence, CICD pipelines
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Knowledge of the following would also be desirable:
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RF communication and signal processing concepts
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Hardware in the loop CICD design
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Software development experience in lower-level languages such as Rust, Golang, C, Modern C++ etc
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Laboratory and Field based testing
Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.
