Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5193)

Job description

Job responsibilities

• 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.,…
• Technical Strategy & Leadership — Set the technical direction across multiple programs; drive the autonomy reference implementation and common patterns that portfolios adopt;
• Collaboration & Cross-Engineering Influence — Build effective working relationships across engineering; represent the team to engineering leadership, customer/program offices, standards bodies, and external partners…
• Mentorship & Growth — Mentor senior engineers and other team leads; provide cross-functional mentorship to engineers in adjacent departments;
• Design & Documentation — Drive cross-functional design reviews, architecture documents, and post-mortems across many teams; publish content that informs decisions beyond the team;
• 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…
• 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…
• 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…

Job requirements

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience
• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 9 years and a Master’s degree; or 7 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 multiple teams or driving cross-program technical initiatives from concept through fielded delivery.