Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Weapons (R5427)

Team: Flight System Integration

Location: Washington, DC, San Diego, California, Boston, MA, Dallas, Texas

Commitment: Full Time Employee

Workplace Type: onsite

What You'll Do:

Develop & Field Autonomy – Develop and integrate autonomy software solutions onto launched effects platforms, including payload computer bring-up, autopilot integration (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot), multi-agent coordination, and deployment to disconnected or air-gapped environments. Own major features from software-in-the-loop through live flight testing and operational deployment. 

Technical Leadership – Own major features or subsystems; drive technical execution, contribute to design decisions, mentor teammates, and help deliver complex autonomy capabilities. 

Collaboration Across Teams & Partners – Partner closely with the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team, feature crews, autopilot vendors (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot), C2 providers, and customer/contractor partners to deliver integrated autonomy capabilities. 

Design & Documentation – Contribute to design reviews, ICDs, integration planning, and post-mortems while helping improve engineering rigor and cross-team execution. 

Pre-deployment Preparation – Build, configure, and validate mission-ready systems for Capability Releases and fleet-scale deployments; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, mission readiness, and release readiness across engineering teams. 

On-site Test & Mission Support – Travel to test sites, customer exercises, and live demonstrations to support flight operations, system bring-up, troubleshooting, and mission execution under operational timelines. 

Hardware/Software Debugging – Diagnose and resolve integration issues across autonomy software, payload computers, embedded systems, and platform interfaces using simulation, laboratory testing, and operational data. 

Mission Data & Debrief Support – Capture mission and test data, reproduce issues in simulation, and partner with autonomy capability owners to rapidly drive improvements into future releases. 

Continuous Improvement – Develop tools and processes that improve integration timelines, testing reliability, deployment efficiency, and mission readiness. 

C2 Interoperability & Standards – Implement and validate interfaces with C2 providers while supporting compliance with common message and open-systems standards (e.g., UCI, OMS, MOSA, WOSA, TAK/CoT). 

Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10–20% of the year to different office locations, customer sites, operator training events, flight tests, and integration exercises. 

Required Qualifications:

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

• Typically requires 5+ years of relevant experience (or equivalent advanced degree experience).  

• Strong proficiency in C++ and experience developing or integrating real-time or embedded systems.  

• Experience with Linux-based development and embedded systems.  

• Experience integrating complex software and hardware systems.  

• Experience supporting system integration, testing, or field events.  

• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with launched effects, unmanned systems, or autonomous platforms. 

• Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or comparable autopilot stacks.  

• Experience with multi-agent autonomy.  

• Python, Docker, CMake/Conan, or CI/CD experience.  

• Experience supporting military field exercises or defense customers.