Technical Lead - C2

Head of Command & Control (C2) Development/Technical Lead C2
Abu Dhabi | Autonomous Systems | Defence Technology | C++ | Distributed Systems
120K Euro's to 180K Euro's Tax Free - Equivalent - depending on experience
+ amazing tax free package + amazing relocation support (flights, healthcare, x2 first month salary + 1 month hotel etc)
We’re supporting a rapidly expanding advanced technology group in Abu Dhabi who are building next-generation autonomous, robotic and unmanned systems.
They are now looking for a Head of C2 Development to lead the technical direction of their fleet-level Command & Control platform.
Also we have - Software Architect
C2 Software Engineer (backend)
C2 - Front End Software Engineer (Vue3, Typescript)
This role is a senior engineering leadership role sitting right at the intersection of autonomy, distributed systems, mission management and defence C2.
You will own the architecture, lead the engineering team, and act as the technical authority for how the platform integrates into external customer C2, BMS and naval CMS environments.
This is not a “manage the team and sit in meetings” role.
They need someone who is still technically strong enough to challenge architecture, review engineering decisions and understand what good looks like at code, middleware and systems-integration level.
What you’ll own
End-to-end C2 architecture across backend services, middleware, data models and integration layers
Technical direction and roadmap of the platform
The interface between the autonomous system and external client systems
Engineering standards, design reviews and technical governance
Recruitment and leadership of backend, integration and HMI engineers
Delivery against customer integration milestones
Coordination with autonomy, swarm, communications and robotics teams
A major part of the role is ensuring the C2 platform can integrate with future platforms, sensors and payloads without the core system needing to be redesigned every time.
What they’re looking for
You will probably have:
8+ years in backend, distributed or real-time systems engineering
3+ years leading technical engineering teams
Strong production experience with modern C++17/20
Good understanding of Rust
Distributed systems and event-driven architectures
Pub/sub middleware, ideally DDS / RTPS
Binary protocols and long-lived interface design
Strong systems integration experience
You will also need a solid understanding of the C2 ecosystem, including areas such as:
Mission planning and tasking
Track handling
Sensor and fusion outputs
Battle Management Systems
Naval Combat Management Systems
Higher-echelon C2 integration
Tactical data exchange
Experience within UAVs, autonomous systems, robotics, C4ISR, naval systems or defence mission systems would be highly relevant.
Useful additional experience
Hands-on implementation experience with any of the following would be a big plus:
STANAG 4586 | STANAG 4609 | STANAG 4607 | Link 16 | JREAP | APP-6D | MIL-STD-6016 | MIL-STD-1553 | MAVLink | JAUS
Also useful:
DO-178C / MIL-STD-882
Applied cryptography / key management
Post-quantum migration
UAS or maritime trials
Operational deployment of autonomous systems
Also enough experience with TypeScript / React / geospatial interfaces / tactical visualisation to direct and review HMI work would be valuable alongside the heavy Middleware/backend experience.
Abu Dhabi relocation
This is a permanent, Abu Dhabi-based role and relocation is required.
For the right person, the package is designed around making the move properly rather than simply offering a salary and leaving you to work the rest out yourself.
Set2Recruit has been recruiting into the UAE and wider region for 10+ years, and we have now helped 300+ engineers and technical specialists relocate to the region.
So if Abu Dhabi is new to you, we can talk you through the practical side as well as the role itself — package, relocation, schools, housing, visas, healthcare and what actually changes financially when moving to the UAE.
For someone coming from a large defence prime, this offers considerably more technical ownership and fewer layers between engineering decisions and deployed systems.
For someone already working within autonomous systems, it offers the scale, investment and ambition to build something much bigger.

Work arrangement
Yes