Марія БровінськаWork
7 July 2026, 09:00
2026-07-07
Specialists are worth their weight in gold. 20+ vacancies that Ukrainian Defense Tech companies can't fill for months
While the IT market is shrinking and senior developers complain about the lack of interesting tasks, deftech companies cannot fill dozens of positions for months. They need circuit engineers, antenna engineers, embedded developers, test pilots, and even instructors to train operators of robotic complexes abroad.
An analysis of vacancies from players such as Dwarf Engineering, Tencore, Frontline Robotics, TAF Industries, and others shows an interesting trend: the market is critically short of not just «coders,» but specialists who are able to combine theory with harsh field realities.
dev.ua systematized the demand of top players in the sector to understand which skills are currently valued at their weight in gold and which vacancies are currently the most difficult for recruiters to fill.
While the IT market is shrinking and senior developers complain about the lack of interesting tasks, deftech companies cannot fill dozens of positions for months. They need circuit engineers, antenna engineers, embedded developers, test pilots, and even instructors to train operators of robotic complexes abroad.
An analysis of vacancies from players such as Dwarf Engineering, Tencore, Frontline Robotics, TAF Industries, and others shows an interesting trend: the market is critically short of not just «coders,» but specialists who are able to combine theory with harsh field realities.
dev.ua systematized the demand of top players in the sector to understand which skills are currently valued at their weight in gold and which vacancies are currently the most difficult for recruiters to fill.
Below are 20+ roles for which it is extremely difficult to find specialists.
Who is looking for: Dwarf Engineering is a Ukrainian product and engineering company that develops technological solutions for the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
What they are looking for: an engineer who does not just assemble, but analyzes problems, offers solutions and optimizes production processes. Experience in soldering SMD and THT components in production conditions is required, the ability to read electrical diagrams and diagnose malfunctions in complex electronic devices. Understanding of technical standards (GOST, ISO) in practical application.
It will be a plus: experience with CAD (Fusion 360, AutoCAD, SolidWorks), knowledge of Betaflight, Mission Planner or QGroundControl, experience in developing assembly documentation and quality control procedures.
What they offer:
Official employment from day one
Booking from day one
Flexible schedule (start before 12:00), 1 day remote per week
Full technical equipment
Office in Kyiv (left bank)
Head of Codification Department
Who is looking for: BlueBird Tech
What they are looking for: a specialist with a technical education (bachelor’s degree or higher) and 1–3 years of experience in preparing documentation for certification of weapons and military equipment (WME). Knowledge of the regulatory framework of the life cycle of WME, understanding of the codification procedure, and fluent technical Ukrainian are required. Attention to detail and the ability to work in a team are mandatory.
Responsibilities: writing technical specifications, test programs and methods, protocols and reports; participating in product codification; interacting with engineers, production and testing departments; monitoring the correctness and completeness of documentation.
What they are looking for: a specialist with experience in designing, modeling and practical testing of antenna systems. Mandatory knowledge of CST Studio Suite or HFSS, SolidWorks for design documentation. Important understanding of serial production and the ability to bring the product to it.
Responsibilities: antenna design according to technical specifications, development of design documentation, practical prototype manufacturing and installation (including RF cables and connectors), SWR and radiation pattern measurements, production support.
What they are looking for: an engineer with 1–2 years of practical experience in circuit design. Knowledge of analog and digital circuit design, experience with microcontrollers and sensors, Altium / KiCad / EasyEDA, technical English for working with documentation is required. Analytical thinking and responsibility are mandatory.
Responsibilities: development of schematic diagrams, selection of components, design with microcontrollers and sensors, preparation of technical documentation, participation in prototype testing, interaction with embedded developers and designers, optimization for production.
It would be a plus: experience in IoT projects, experience in developing smart home devices.
What they offer:
Booking in accordance with the law
Schedule Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00
Career growth
Projects with real social impact
Head of the UAV Technical Command (with piloting experience)
Who is looking for: BlueBird Tech
What they are looking for: a technically trained pilot with solid experience in flying aircraft-type UAVs and FPV in manual mode. Understanding of drone architecture, soldering skills, knowledge of ESC, flight controllers, antenna-feeder systems, topographic training are required. Mobility and willingness to travel are mandatory. Driver’s license.
Responsibilities: R&D testing of completely new experimental samples — be the first to lift them into the sky and find the limits of possibilities; deployment and control of complexes with NSC and UAV repeaters; demonstrations for teams and at exhibitions; field engineering (assembly, Betaflight/INAV/ArduPilot firmware, on-the-knee repairs); telemetry collection, log reading and feedback for the R&D team.
Who is looking for: Frontline Robotics is a Ukrainian deftech company that designs and manufactures ground robots, drones, and turrets, as well as develops software to change the rules of combat. The company’s mission is to save lives by robotizing the military. Preference given to veterans in all vacancies.
What they are looking for: a developer with a full higher technical education, knowledge of C/C++ and Python (SciPy, Matplotlib, PyQt), experience with STM32, STM8, AVR microcontrollers, deep understanding of UART, SPI, I2C, USB, CAN. Experience with FreeRTOS, STM32 HAL, FatFS, LwIP and Linux at an advanced user level is required. Also, understanding of control theory, digital signal processing and vector motor control.
Responsibilities: writing and debugging firmware for microcontrollers, developing algorithms for processing data from sensors and controlling electric motors, writing test scripts and interfaces for configuring devices, participating in field tests.
A plus would be: basic understanding of analog and digital circuitry, practical experience with measurement equipment (logic analyzer, oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer).
What they offer:
Official employment and booking
Schedule Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00 or 10:00–19:00
24 days of vacation, sick leave; +14 days of vacation for veterans
What they are looking for: a specialist with proven experience in developing RF or microwave systems. Requires a solid knowledge of transmission line theory, S-parameters and impedance matching, practical skills in designing RF frontend nodes (filters, LNA, PA, mixers, generators), experience with VNA, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes. Ability to build models and libraries of discrete RF components.
Responsibilities: design of RF circuits and modules from concept to final solution, development of schematic diagrams and RF PCB tracing taking into account microstrip lines and impedance control, RF measurement and verification of prototypes, detection and elimination of malfunctions (matching, EMI/EMC, instability), optimization for energy efficiency and cost.
What they offer:
Official employment and booking
Schedule Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00 or 10:00–19:00
24 days of vacation, sick leave; +14 days for veterans
What they are looking for: a designer with 3 years of experience, preferably in the field of UAVs. Must be fluent in SolidWorks to design parts for milling, turning, 3D printing (SLS, FDM), laser cutting, bending. Skills in developing and maintaining design documentation and the ability to predict development time are required.
Responsibilities: designing new components and products and improving existing ones, selecting production technologies taking into account serial production, creating and updating design documentation, organizing the assembly of prototypes and pre-series products, making changes based on test results, and supporting the product during serial production.
Experience in designing plastic parts for injection molding would be a plus .
What they offer:
Official employment and booking
Flexible schedule: 9:00–18:00 or 10:00–19:00
24 days of vacation, sick leave; +14 days for veterans
Office near the metro (right bank)
Salary depends on experience and results of the technical task
What they are looking for: electronics with 3 years of experience in Altium Designer, knowledge of analog and digital electronics and power circuits, experience in designing multilayer boards, and practical experience with measurement equipment (spectrum analyzer, oscilloscope, antenna analyzers).
Responsibilities: making changes to existing serial products, developing test benches (their setup, launch, troubleshooting), participating in the automation of production systems.
What they offer:
Official employment and booking
Schedule Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00 or 10:00–19:00
24 days of vacation, sick leave; +14 days for veterans
Who is looking for: TAF Industries is a military-tech company that produces and develops defense technologies: from FPV drones and kamikaze drones to missiles and AI systems for aerial reconnaissance. Since 2023, over 30 developments, 80,000+ drones per month, 600+ engineers in 20+ locations.
What they are looking for: a pilot with any relevant experience flying UAVs (copters, airplanes), understanding of the principles of ground control stations, and basic or solid experience in UAV engineering (maintenance, repair, soldering, component replacement). Willingness to work in the field and travel (2–5 trips per month).
Responsibilities: controlling the UAV in various flight modes, launching and monitoring the NSU, maintenance and repair (diagnostics, component replacement, soldering, software updates), testing new solutions and prototypes, maintaining technical documentation, collaborating with engineers to improve equipment.
It will be a plus: experience with Betaflight / ArduPilot / PX4, driver’s license category B, experience in field testing or working in MilTech.
What they are looking for: a specialist with practical experience in configuring FPV drones in Betaflight and understanding of the hardware: ESC, flight controllers, motors, antenna systems. Experience in troubleshooting and troubleshooting, ability to solder at the component level.
Responsibilities: setup, calibration and testing of FPV drones, diagnostics and repair of equipment, participation in the preparation of serial products, interaction with the R&D team to improve products.
What they are looking for: a technologist with experience in developing technological processes for the production of electronic or mechanical products. Knowledge of quality control methods, ability to develop and update technological documentation.
Responsibilities: development and optimization of production processes, preparation of technological documentation, participation in the launch of new products into mass production, quality control on production lines.
What they are looking for: PM with experience in managing manufacturing or engineering projects, understanding the product lifecycle from development to mass production. Skills in working with project documentation, ability to coordinate cross-functional teams.
Responsibilities: planning and monitoring the implementation of production projects, coordination between R&D, production and supply, risk and deadline management, maintaining project documentation and reporting.
What they are looking for: a specialist with experience working with Odoo ERP (any module) and experience in testing or technical support of software for at least 1 year. The ability to write test cases and bug reports, knowledge of the Sales, Purchase, Inventory or Helpdesk modules, experience in participating in ERP implementation is required. English — not lower than B1.
Responsibilities: testing Odoo ERP functionality, processing customer requests through the helpdesk, compiling test cases and bug reports, participating in regression testing, interacting with the development team, documenting support processes.
Who’s looking: The Fourth Law is a leading manufacturer of autonomous drone technologies, whose solutions are codified to NATO standards and used by over 50 Defense Forces units and 20+ drone manufacturers.
What they are looking for: a developer to work on the full autonomy stack — from low-level interaction with the flight controller and sensors to guidance logic and computer vision. Strong knowledge of C++ and Python, experience in Embedded Linux, Git, hardware interfaces (GPIO, I2C, SPI, UART), video streaming (GStreamer, FFmpeg), working with microcontrollers (ESP32, STM32) and ARM Cortex platforms (Raspberry Pi or similar) is required.
Responsibilities: development of guidance and control algorithms, integration of flight controllers and peripherals (MAVLink / MSP), support of video pipelines (RTP / RTSP), writing unit and integration tests, deploying assemblies on target hardware via Yocto images and GitHub Actions, participation in field tests.
Who is looking for: Odd Systems — specializes in thermal imaging cameras and FPV drones.
What they are looking for: an engineer with 5+ years of experience in developing electronic devices from schematics to PCBs. Experience in tracing high-speed interfaces (DDR3, USB with impedance and length control), designing low-noise power circuits for ADCs and sensors, and confidence in working with KiCad or Altium Designer are required.
Responsibilities: development of schematic diagrams for thermal imaging cameras, sensor modules and SoC boards, design of multilayer PCBs taking into account power and high-speed interfaces, preparation of a full set of production documentation (BOM, Gerber, assembly drawings), bring-up and debugging of prototypes, support of serial production and defect analysis. Interaction with embedded software, mechanical and production teams.
What they are looking for: an engineer to build the software foundation for camera systems — from sensor bring-up to video stream quality optimization. Commercial experience in C/C++ in a Linux environment is required, practical experience in developing Linux kernel drivers, experience with camera stack (V4L2, Media Controller), V4L2 sub-device drivers, MIPI CSI-2 and I2C (working with sensor registers). Ability to read sensor and SoC datasheets.
Responsibilities: development and bring-up of Linux kernel drivers for cameras, sensor integration into Linux camera stack, implementation of sensor control via I2C, building a device tree for the camera module, bring-up on target platforms (Raspberry Pi / Zynq / Rockchip), integration with user-space (libcamera, GStreamer, ffmpeg), optimization of stability and quality of the video stream.
It would be a plus: experience with libcamera, GStreamer or FFmpeg, bring-up on Raspberry Pi, working with Sony IMX sensors, Yocto or Buildroot.
What they are looking for: Senior PM with 3+ years of experience in hardware, embedded, IoT or related technology products. Requires ability to manage product roadmap, work with technical research (SDK/API analysis, vendor evaluation, prototype initiation), deep understanding of the idea-to-release process, and experience planning sprints in teams of 2–6 engineers. English Intermediate+.
Responsibilities: formation and management of the product roadmap for thermal imaging cameras, collection of requirements and communication with customers (including feedback from the front), technical research (supplier search, component testing), delivery management, implementation of quality processes (integration testing, code review, documentation), coordination with R&D, procurement, production and support teams.
What they are looking for: a marketer with 2+ years of experience in Product Marketing, preferably in deep-tech, robotics, AI or hardware. Strong analytical skills, experience in market research and competitive analysis, ability to translate complex technical systems into understandable positioning and value propositions are required. Experience in developing GTM strategies in collaboration with product and engineers. English B1+. Knowledge of LLM tools.
Responsibilities: shaping product positioning and messaging, planning and executing GTM campaigns for launches, interacting with engineers and operators to translate opportunities into product strategy, creating product materials (pages, presentations, technical materials, sales collateral), market analysis, and ensuring consistent messaging across all channels.
It would be a plus: experience working in defense-tech or with military units, drone piloting skills.
What they offer:
Official registration in «Diya.City»;
Reservations in accordance with the law;
24 days of vacation; +14 days for veterans;
Tuition compensation.
Hardware Engineer (electronics development)
Who is looking for: Tencore.
What they are looking for: an electronics engineer with Altium Designer or KiCad, experience in laying out multilayer boards (from 4 layers), knowledge of measurement equipment (oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, antenna analyzers) and experience working with high-speed interfaces (USB, Ethernet). Microcontroller programming skills are a big advantage.
Responsibilities: development of electronic devices of varying complexity (from simple DC-DC converters to multilayer boards with microprocessors), optimization of boards for mass production, diagnostics and troubleshooting of electronics problems, design of test benches.
Project Manager (R&D)
Who is looking for: Tencore.
What they are looking for: PM with 1+ years of experience managing technical or R&D teams. Requires understanding of the technical product lifecycle from idea to production, Jira/Confluence, English B2+. Veterans preferred.
Responsibilities: managing R&D projects from concept to production, coordinating engineering teams, managing risks and priorities, interacting with customers and partners, maintaining project documentation.
It will be a plus: experience in miltech, robotics, UAV/UGV, automotive or aerospace; experience in bringing technical products to international markets; participation in trials and testing of equipment.
Ground robotics instructor (with English)
Who is looking for: Tencore.
What they are looking for: people with experience working with UAVs, NRCs or robotic systems, who can clearly explain complex things in simple language. English is mandatory. Discipline, responsibility and communication skills are key. Preference given to veterans, people with combat experience and experience conducting exercises.
Responsibilities: training of NRC operators, practical training in complex management, training in technical maintenance and basic repair, preparation of training materials and instructions, development of training programs, conducting training for the military in Ukraine and abroad .
Odoo ERP Engineer (Python)
Who is looking for: Tencore.
What they are looking for: a specialist with 1 year of experience working with Odoo, knowledge of Python, XML, ORM, Odoo API, PostgreSQL, Git. Experience configuring CRM, Helpdesk, Sales, Inventory, Manufacturing modules. Experience with integrations via REST/JSON and development of custom modules is an advantage.
Responsibilities: development and support of the ERP system, configuration of modules and business rules, automation of business processes, development of custom functionality, implementation of integrations via API, user training and preparation of documentation.
Cybersecurity specialist
Who is looking for: Tencore.
What they are looking for: a specialist with 1 year of experience in information security. The ability to plan security measures (audits, testing, training), maintain documentation, monitor compliance with policies among employees, and work together with IT, the legal department, and security services is required.
Responsibilities: protecting information from unauthorized access and cyber threats, monitoring threats and responding to incidents, implementing information security systems (antivirus, encryption, filtering), monitoring backups, training staff on information security issues.
Here are a few trends that stand out:
First, Deftech is not looking for assembly line juniors. Most vacancies require real engineering maturity: the ability not only to perform tasks, but also to diagnose problems, propose solutions, and be responsible for the quality of the final product. Junior Hardware Engineer at Dwarf — and he is positioned as an engineer, not a technician.
Secondly, there is a critical shortage of hardware engineers. Circuit engineers, antenna engineers, embedded developers, hardware product managers — positions for which the market is traditionally thin, but in the deftech context, demand has increased sharply. Frontline Robotics is simultaneously looking for an RF Engineer, Embedded Developer, Design Engineer, and Electronics Engineer — and all these positions are open in parallel.
Third, new roles are emerging that didn’t exist before. The English-speaking NRC instructor who trains the military abroad. The head of the VTK who is both a test pilot and a field engineer who reflashes drones «on the knee.» These are not adapted civilian roles — these are new professions born of war.
Fourth, reservations have become the standard. Almost all of the companies on the list guarantee reservations from day one — this is no longer an advantage, but a basic condition for attracting specialists.
Fifth, experience is more important than a degree. Veteran experience, combat experience, experience working «in the fields» — in a considerable number of vacancies this is either a direct advantage or a key requirement. Deftech is one of the few fields where a practical background is valued above an academic one.
«We do a lot of training ourselves. We hire people after university both for production and R&D,» — CEO Skyeton about hiring. What IT specialists is the deftech company currently looking for
