Principal Datalink Engineer / Communications Systems Architect

Principal Datalink Engineer / Communications Systems Architect

About Us

At FlyingBasket, we're designing and operating autonomous heavy-lift cargo drones that solve logistics challenges all around the world, today.

Our company is based in Bolzano, at the heart of the Alps. It's a place where innovative companies, research institutions, and an exceptional quality of life come together. Whether you're an aerospace engineer, production specialist or operations expert, with us, you will work on technology that leaves the lab and flies in the real world.

The Role

As a Principal Datalink Engineer/Communications Systems Architect you will develop FlyingBasket-owned communication systems that match the state of the technology today, then push beyond it toward leading long-range, robust, secure drone communication systems.

This is a high-impact individual contributor role. The right person will personally build the first prototypes, prove the core technical approach, and define the architecture of a strategic subsystem for future FlyingBasket aircraft. Over time, this role can evolve either into technical leadership as a principal architect or into team leadership, depending on the person’s strengths and interests. People management is not a requirement.

The long-term goal is a robust communication system for command‑and‑control, telemetry, and video transmission, designed for demanding drone operations. Early work may start with a focused SDR‑based command‑and‑control prototype using existing hardware.

This is not a narrow implementation role. It is a opportunity to own the technical foundation of a critical aircraft subsystem from first prototype to advanced capability.

We are looking for someone who can work from first principles, make practical engineering tradeoffs, and turn complex radio communication concepts into working hardware and measured results. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between theory, simulation, SDR implementation, RF lab testing, embedded systems, and system‑level architecture.

The role is especially suited to a strong technical builder: someone who wants deep ownership, hard problems, and visible technical impact, without necessarily wanting to become a people manager.

What you will do

• Develop FlyingBasket-owned drone datalink technology from early prototypes toward advanced flight‑ready systems.
• Architect and build SDR‑based prototypes for command‑and‑control, telemetry, and future video transmission.
• Define the technical approach for secure, robust, long‑range drone communications.
• Design and evaluate modulation, synchronization, coding, packetization, link‑layer behavior, and receiver architectures.
• Develop practical test methods to measure range, sensitivity, latency, reliability, link‑margin, and link availability.
• Demonstrate weak‑signal and long‑range communication capability through controlled testing and flight‑relevant experiments.
• Make key technical tradeoffs across performance, robustness, cost, power, weight, manufacturability, and regulatory constraints.
• Work with flight software, avionics, electronics, operations, and product teams to integrate the datalink into FlyingBasket aircraft.
• Guide future hiring and technical direction for the datalink area, without being required to manage a team.
• Help turn drone communications into a core FlyingBasket technical advantage.

What you bring

We are looking for a top‑tier engineer with deep capability in wireless communications, SDR, RF systems, or digital modem development.

The right candidate has built real systems before, not only simulations or papers. They can design a communication system, implement the first version, measure its performance, understand why it fails, and improve it. They are comfortable with uncertainty and can move quickly from concept to working prototype.

This person may become the technical nucleus around which a future datalink team is built. That does not mean they need to be a manager. It means their architecture, judgment, prototypes, and technical standards will shape the subsystem.

• SDR and digital communications.
• RF systems, antennas, link budgets, and receiver sensitivity.
• Modulation, synchronization, coding, packetization, and link‑layer design.
• Long‑range or low‑SNR communication systems.
• Secure and authenticated communication systems.
• Embedded software, real‑time signal processing, FPGA/SoC, or custom radio hardware.
• UAV, aerospace, robotics, industrial wireless, satellite communications, or defense communication systems.
• Building prototypes and converting them into reliable products.
• Technical leadership as a principal engineer, architect, staff engineer, consultant, or subsystem owner.

Initial focus

The first phase will focus on a practical prototype: a low‑rate command‑and‑control datalink using SDR hardware. The goal is to create a measurable working system, understand its limitations, and define the path toward longer range, stronger robustness, encryption, airborne integration, and eventually video transmission.

What we offer

• Real responsibilities and challenges from day one
• Full‑time position on‑site
• Salary range for this position depending on experience and seniority is €50K‑90K
• Available accommodation for the first weeks
• Additional accident insurance coverage
• Fruit, coffee, snacks and lunch are provided at headquarters
• Team building activities including: hikes and walks in summer, skiing/sledging in winter, etc.