Senior Flight Software Engineer
$220,000–$292,000 year
On-siteCosta Mesa, California, United States
Costa Mesa, California, United StatesOn-sitePart Time$220,000–$292,000 yearSenior LevelDefense TechnologyLarge
Part TimeSenior LevelLargeDefense Technology
Job Summary
Design and implement vehicle control systems, including device drivers, middleware integration, and guidance algorithms for embedded Linux or RTOS applications. Develop protocols and APIs for aircraft sensors, then integrate new features and SITL/HITL test fixtures to automate validation. Analyze flight test results to iterate on fixes, while supporting manufacturing efforts, production testing, and operational field troubleshooting. Mentor junior engineers and lead technical design reviews within the Vehicle Management Systems team.
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years of C++ or Rust programming experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Direct experience with embedded software or other safety-critical systems
- Background in low-level embedded software architecture, design and development
- Low-level device driver development experience; familiarity with both microcontrollers and application processors
- Comfortable with typical embedded systems tools, compilers, debuggers, and IDEs
- Familiarity with communications busses and protocols such as CAN, CAN FD, UART/RS232/RS422/RS485, SPI, QSPI, I2C, Ethernet, etc
- Strong debugging skills, comfortable using instrumentation such as oscilloscopes and protocol analyzers
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance
Desired Qualifications
- Strong vehicle systems and avionics design knowledge
- Experience building flight stacks or working with PX4/ArduPilot or proprietary autopilots
- Familiarity with control systems, state estimation, and guidance algorithms
- Bias toward delivery and rapid iteration to discover the right engineering investments
- Willingness to take calculated risks and full accountability for outcomes
- Passion for solving real-world problems quickly and effectively
- Track record of designing, building, and delivering useful software to users — we want to hear war stories!
- Experience with SITL/HITL frameworks, CI for embedded systems, and creating reproducible test environments
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