Linux Software Engineer

We are seeking a UAS Linux Software Engineer to develop, integrate, and maintain the core software components that run on our drone platforms. This role focuses on the Linux‑based onboard computing environment, ensuring that perception, navigation, communication, and mission‑level applications operate reliably and cohesively.

You will work across the entire UAS software stack—drivers, middleware, services, networking, and system orchestration—to ensure that all subsystems interact correctly and perform under real‑world flight conditions. This position is ideal for engineers who enjoy systems‑level thinking and want to build the software backbone of advanced autonomous aircraft.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Linux‑based system software for onboard UAS compute modules (Jetson, x86, ARM SBCs).
• Integrate and manage multiple onboard components including flight control, perception, communications, payloads, and mission‑planning services.
• Build and maintain system‑level services, daemons, and middleware (e.g., ROS2, DDS, custom IPC frameworks).
• Implement and optimize inter‑process communication, networking, and data‑exchange pipelines between onboard subsystems.
• Develop tools for system monitoring, logging, diagnostics, and performance profiling.
• Collaborate with embedded, autonomy, and GNC teams to ensure seamless interaction between Linux systems and flight‑control hardware.
• Configure and optimize Linux distributions, kernel modules, device trees, and hardware interfaces.
• Support integration of sensors, cameras, radios, and payload devices into the onboard software ecosystem.
• Participate in flight testing, data analysis, and iterative improvements to system reliability and performance.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, containerization strategies, and automated deployment workflows.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience developing software for Linux‑based embedded or robotics systems.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python for systems‑level development.
• Experience with Linux internals: system services, networking, kernel modules, device drivers, or hardware interfaces.
• Familiarity with ROS/ROS2, DDS, or other robotics middleware.
• Experience integrating multiple subsystems in a distributed or real‑time environment.
• Strong understanding of networking protocols, IPC, and system‑level debugging tools.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance may be required depending on program needs.
• Must be a U.S. citizen for export‑controlled technology.
• Ability to commute to the Huntsville office 5 days a week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with UAS, robotics, or other autonomous systems.
• Familiarity with PX4, ArduPilot, or custom flight‑control stacks.
• Experience with NVIDIA Jetson, Qualcomm RB5, or other edge‑AI compute platforms.
• Knowledge of containerization (Docker, Podman), system orchestration, or microservice architecture.
• Experience with video pipelines (GStreamer, RTSP, WebRTC) or high‑bandwidth sensor integration.
• Background in cybersecurity, secure communications, or system hardening.

*** Experience with HIL testing, simulation environments, or automated system‑validation frameworks