Forward Deployed Engineer

Department: Engineering

Location: Austin

Employment Type: FullTime

Forward Deployed Engineer

Location: Austin, TX (On-site, with up to 50% travel)
Clearance Requirement: U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a security clearance

About NODA

NODA is a veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company that is transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. We are developing next-generation solutions that enable the autonomous orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space with vital applications in the defense, intelligence, and commercial sectors.

Our Forward Deployed Engineers serve as the critical bridge between our orchestration platform and real-world deployment environments, building the software integrations that enable diverse autonomous systems to work together seamlessly.

Joining NODA means working on meaningful technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomy alongside a team that thrives on innovation, rapid iteration, and collaboration.

The Role

We are looking for a Forward Deployed Engineer to lead software integration and deployment of our multi-domain autonomous orchestration platform with customers and partners. This role focuses on building the adapters, interfaces, and integration layers that connect our orchestration engine to diverse autonomous vehicles, sensors, and third-party systems in operational environments.

You'll work at the intersection of our core platform and customer/partner ecosystems, translating high-level orchestration tasks into platform-specific commands, integrating environmental data into our world model, and deploying our software in complex, constrained network environments. This is a software-centric role requiring strong full-stack engineering skills, systems integration expertise, and the ability to operate independently in customer and partner facilities.

While you'll spend significant time on deployment and integration work, you'll also contribute strategically to our core platform, building shared libraries, reusable integration components, and deployment tooling that accelerate future integrations. You serve as a direct link between customer needs and platform development, funneling product requirements back to core engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities

Software Integration & Deployment

• Build adapters and translation layers that connect our orchestration platform to diverse autonomous vehicle control protocols and APIs (MAVLink, custom vehicle APIs, etc.)

• Develop interfaces for new sensors and payloads, integrating their data streams into our world model

• Create integrations with third-party C2 systems (ATAK, TAK Server, etc.) and other software platforms in the autonomy stack

• Map high-level orchestration tasks to platform-specific behaviors and commands for each vehicle type

• Transform and integrate environmental data from various sources into our common data representation

• Deploy and configure ML models in operational environments

• Design and implement custom network configurations for multi-domain connectivity, handling degraded/intermittent links, secure networks (VPNs, firewalls), and air-ground-sea communication scenarios

Customer & Partner Technical Leadership

• Serve as technical liaison between customers/partners and internal engineering teams

• Lead on-site integration efforts at partner facilities (vehicle manufacturers, sensor providers, component suppliers)

• Conduct technical demonstrations and training sessions for customers and operators

• Translate operational requirements and field feedback into actionable product improvements

• Support pre-sales technical discussions and scoping for customer engagements

• Validate partner platforms and third-party integrations in operational settings

Platform Contributions

• Build shared libraries and reusable integration components that accelerate future deployments

• Develop deployment tooling and automation for software delivery in secure, constrained environments

• Extend our behavior library with new capabilities based on platform-specific features

• Contribute bug fixes and improvements affecting customer deployments

• Document integration patterns and best practices

• Funnel product requirements from field learnings back to core engineering and product teams

Field Operations Support

• Execute system validation, troubleshooting, and performance optimization in real-world environments

• Provide technical support during live demonstrations and operational deployments

• Collect and analyze system performance data, integration issues, and failure modes

• Develop deployment documentation and troubleshooting guides

• Debug integration issues discovered during field testing

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of software engineering experience building integrations, APIs, or distributed systems

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience)

• Strong proficiency in Python and/or C++ for building integrations, adapters, and automation

• Experience with networked systems and protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, multicast, routing, subnetting)

• Advanced Linux proficiency (command line, scripting, debugging, remote system administration)

• Experience integrating with external APIs, protocols, or hardware systems

• Proven ability to understand complex technical systems and build translation/adapter layers

• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills across software boundaries

• Professional communication skills for engaging customers, partners, and engineering teams

• Comfortable with 50% travel to customer sites, partner facilities, test ranges, and remote locations

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with autonomous systems, robotics, or unmanned vehicles (UAS, UGV, USV, UUV)

• Hands-on experience with vehicle control protocols (MAVLink, ROS/ROS2, custom vehicle APIs)

• DevSecOps experience deploying software in secure, constrained, or classified environments

• Experience with tactical communications systems and C2 software (ATAK, TAK Server, Link 16, etc.)

• Knowledge of ML model deployment and inference optimization

• Background in RF communications, link budgets, or connectivity troubleshooting

• Experience with embedded systems, microcontrollers, or firmware interfaces

• Familiarity with sensor integration (cameras, LIDAR, radar, EO/IR, RF)

• Prior forward deployed, field engineering, or customer-facing technical role experience

• Experience with DoD environments, military test protocols, ITAR compliance, or cybersecurity requirements

• Existing security clearance

Skills & Attributes

Technical Skills:

• Full-stack software development with focus on integrations and APIs

• Systems thinking and ability to understand complex multi-system architectures

• Data transformation and protocol translation expertise

• Network configuration and troubleshooting in operational environments

• Software deployment and configuration management

Customer-Facing Skills:

• Strong customer presence for defense demonstrations and partner engagements

• Ability to translate between technical and operational language

• Professional communication and presentation abilities

• Customer empathy and service mindset

• Crisis management and composure under pressure

Operational Skills:

• Self-directed problem-solver who thrives in ambiguous situations

• Startup adaptability and comfort with rapidly changing requirements

• Strong documentation discipline

• Project management and prioritization

• Performs effectively in mission-critical field environments

What We Offer

• Hybrid-friendly when not traveling

• Competitive pay

• Flexible time off

• Generous PTO policy

• Federal holidays

• Generous health, dental, and vision benefits

• Free OneMedical membership

Growth Path at NODA

Forward Deployed Engineers have multiple career progression options:

• Technical track: FDE → Senior FDE → Lead FDE

• Transition to Core Engineering: For those who develop strong interest in platform development

• Transition to Mission Lead: For those who gravitate toward project management and coordination

• Transition to Product Management: Leverage deep customer insights for product strategy

• Individual contributor track: Available for those who prefer hands-on technical work

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.