Design Authority - GCS Software

ADASI is the regional leader in autonomous systems and services, dedicated to offering holistic solutions—from the development and production of unmanned systems to joint mission analysis and equipment acquisition. We manufacture, operate, and maintain next-generation autonomous capabilities for air, land, and sea, operating in demanding environments. Headquartered in the UAE, we are committed to advancing the region’s technological edge in defense innovation.

The Design Authority – GCS Software provides strategic and technical leadership for the architecture, design, integration, and lifecycle support of Ground Control Station (GCS) software solutions used in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems. This role ensures that all GCS software designs meet safety, security, functional, and operational requirements as per military and civil aerospace standards while aligning with ADASI’s product roadmap and system-level architecture.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the technical authority and final design approver for all software components related to GCS systems.
• Owning and managing the software architecture and design baselines for GCS, including HMI, mission planning, telemetry handling, communication interfaces, and payload integration.
• Ensuring compliance with airworthiness, cybersecurity, and system safety standards (e.g., DO-178C, MIL-STD-882, ISO 27001).
• Leading and reviewing software design documentation, coding standards, technical assessments, and configuration management.
• Collaborating with systems engineering, flight software, hardware, and test engineering teams to ensure integrated system performance.
• Evaluating third-party vendors and COTS/MOTS products for integration into the GCS software environment.
• Supporting certification and regulatory approval activities in collaboration with quality and compliance teams.
• Providing technical mentorship and guidance to software engineering teams, ensuring best practices in Agile and Model-Based Engineering are applied.
• Acting as the primary technical interface for internal and external stakeholders on GCS software topics, including end-users, regulators, and military customers.
• Overseeing problem resolution, design improvements, and change management during the product lifecycle.
• Supporting R&D initiatives by contributing to the technology roadmap and innovation strategies relevant to autonomous systems and GCS evolution.

Required Qualifications include a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline; a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Systems Engineering, Embedded Systems, or Autonomous Systems is preferred.

Experience requirements include a minimum of 10 years in aerospace, defense, or autonomous systems with a focus on GCS software development; proven experience in leading software teams or acting as a design authority, chief engineer, or principal engineer in mission-critical systems; and hands-on experience with UAV command and control systems, real-time OS, middleware frameworks, and telemetry/data protocols.

Preferred certifications include DO-178C Certification Training, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or SAFe Agilist (SA), CISSP/CISM, INCOSE CSEP or equivalent Systems Engineering credentials, and PMP or equivalent project/program delivery certification.

Technical tools and competencies include C/C++, Python, Java for backend/frontend GCS modules; Linux OS, RTOS (VxWorks, QNX); knowledge of protocols like MAVLink, DDS, TCP/IP, MIL-STD-1553, ARINC; software architecture modeling tools (e.g., SysML, UML, Enterprise Architect); CI/CD frameworks (Jenkins, GitLab), version control (Git); and strong knowledge of modular open systems architecture (MOSA) and cyber-resilient software design.

Ideal attributes consist of strong strategic thinking and system-level mindset, exceptional communication skills, high attention to detail and strong sense of ownership, adaptability and innovation, strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities, and leadership qualities with a collaborative and mentoring approach.