Staff Software Engineer - Frontend

About the role:

We're looking for a Staff Frontend Engineer to lead development of real-time, high-impact applications used by drone pilots, first responders, and mission commanders. You’ll be a key contributor in shaping the future of Drones as First Responders (DFR) — building intuitive, resilient, and high-performance interfaces that deliver mission-critical video, telemetry, and control.

How you'll make an impact:

• Lead architecture and implementation of advanced web applications:
  • Remote Flight Deck for drone operations from the web
  • DFR Command for tactical coordination for first responders
  • ReadyLink for real-time video sharing in the field
• Drive UX innovation, drawing inspiration from video games, cockpit systems, and pro tools
• Partner with cross-functional teams to design features that meet real-world, time-sensitive needs
• Uphold and elevate engineering standards for security, performance, scalability, and reliability
• Mentor engineers and contribute to a strong technical culture
• Participate in a low-friction on-call rotation — our platform is stable, but lives depend on what we build

What makes you a good fit:

• 10+ years of experience building and shipping customer-facing software across the stack
• Expertise in modern frontend development (React, TypeScript, Next.js, GraphQL)
• Ability to design and evolve complex systems in cloud environments (Python, PostgreSQL, Temporal)
• Strong product intuition and customer empathy — you care about the why behind the code
• Proven leadership in taking ideas from concept to production at scale

Bonus Points:

• Experience with real-time systems (WebRTC, WebSockets, LiveKit)
• Familiarity with 3D/graphics (WebGL, Three.js, Unreal, WebGPU)
• Geospatial experience (Mapbox, Cesium, ESRI, PostGIS)
• Background in autonomy, robotics, or drone software (ROS, PX4, etc.)

Work Location: This role would be Hybrid 3 days a week in office out of our San Mateo, California office. We are quite flexible on the days but all employees would be expected to be able to commute to our office 3 days a week or would be open to relocation closer to the office. We offer candidates relocation packages to help with this move.

Compensation Range: The annual base salary range for this position is $196,000 - 268,000*. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. In addition to base salary, Skydio full-time employees are eligible to enroll in our benefit plans and take advantage of a variety of incentives and stipends.

*For some positions the pay may be dependent upon the individual's regional location.

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