Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5208)
Washington, D.C.full time
On Site
senior
H1B: no
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., 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.
Qualification
BS/MS in Computer ScienceProficiency in C++Familiarity with middlewareHands-on experience supporting demosStrong problem-solving skillsProficiency in Python for scriptingExperience leading a feature crewFamiliarity with autonomy stacks
Required
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.
Preferred
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.
