Staff Software Engineer

What You'll Do:

• Develop & Field Autonomy

  • Develop & integrate autonomy software solutions onto unmanned platforms (air, maritime, space, or effects/expendables), including payload computer bring-up, container-based deployment (e.g., k3s/k3d), and configuration across onboard compute, sensors, and command-and-control interfaces — and lead a small team through the design, development, and delivery of a major capability or sub-program.

• Technical Leadership

  • Lead a small feature crew or sub-program; set technical direction, break down work, unblock the team, and report progress to leadership and stakeholders.

• Collaboration Across Teams

  • Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team, feature crews, and external partners (platform integrators, vehicle/autopilot control vendors, C2 providers); author and negotiate ICDs and interface contracts rather than just consume them

• Mentorship & Growth

  • Mentor mid-level engineers on the team; partner with managers on onboarding, leveling, and growth planning. Formally onboard senior new hires.

• Design & Documentation

  • Drive design reviews, ICDs, and post-mortems for your area; push the team toward higher rigor and close process gaps that span teams.

• Pre-deployment Preparation

  • Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission-ready systems; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, mission readiness, and release cadence with capability and feature teams.

• On-site Test & Mission Support

  • Travel to test sites and support live mission operations (flight tests, range exercises, on-water trials, integration events), including safety checks, system bring-up, and troubleshooting under time-critical constraints.

• Hardware/Software Debugging

  • Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex autonomy stacks, payload computers, and embedded systems in lab and field environments — including memory, CPU, and timing profiling under operationally-representative loads.

• Mission Data & Debrief Support

  • Capture mission and test data, reproduce issues in simulation, and partner with autonomy capability owners to drive fixes back into the next build.

• Continuous Improvement

  • Build tools and processes to improve integration timelines, test/mission reliability, and team efficiency across deployment cycles.

• C2 Interoperability & Standards

  • Own the interface contracts with C2 providers and drive standards compliance for your area, including implementation and validation against command-and-control standards (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS).

• Hiring

  • Interview candidates, help define the skills bar for open roles in your area, and onboard new engineers into your sub-program.

• Travel Requirement

  • Members of this team typically travel around 10-20% of the year (to different office locations, customer sites, and integration/test events).

Required Qualifications:

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience

• Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 5 years and a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.

• Proficiency in C++, with experience developing or integrating real-time or latency-sensitive systems.

• Proficiency in Linux-based development and experience working with embedded systems, shell scripting, and system diagnostics.

• Familiarity with middleware, pub-sub, or IPC frameworks used in autonomy or robotics systems (e.g., DDS, message buses).

• Hands-on experience supporting demos, exercises, or field/mission tests for unmanned or autonomous systems.

• Experience with autonomy simulation environments for testing and validation.

• Demonstrated experience leading a small technical team or owning a major capability from design through field delivery.

• Track record of mentoring engineers and growing technical talent.

• Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts / ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.

• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and optimize system performance across the full stack.

• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience supporting unmanned systems (air, maritime, space, ground, or effects/expendables) or similar field test campaigns.

• Proficiency in Python for scripting, automation, and analysis.

• Experience leading a feature crew, sub-program, or small team in an unmanned systems context.

• Experience owning customer- or partner-facing technical relationships (e.g., autopilot vendors, C2 providers, government program offices).

• Track record of cross-team improvements (process, rigor, documentation, or developer experience).

• Familiarity with autonomy stacks, motion planning, or vehicle-control integration.

• Competence in vehicle electronics bring-up (avionics, spacecraft buses, or vessel control), payload computer integration, or hardware-in-the-loop debugging.

• Experience with container orchestration (e.g., k3s, k3d, Docker) on embedded or payload compute.

• Familiarity with platform control / autopilot stacks (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot, spacecraft flight software, vessel autopilots).

• Proficiency in developing automation tools for system testing, logging, and data parsing.

• Build-system experience (e.g., Conan, CMake) and CI/CD pipeline familiarity.

• Comfortable interfacing with DoD stakeholders during field events or technical reviews.

• Experience with C2 standards such as A-GRA, UCI, or OMS.

• Familiarity with government-furnished simulation environments (e.g., AFSIM, NGTS) is a plus.

$234,240 - $351,360 a year

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