Applied Intuition
Senior C++ Software Engineer - Drone Stack
$135K–$185K
Washington, D.C. · On-site · Senior · Full-time · Posted Oct 30, 2026
- Experience
- 5–10 years of hands-on robotic systems experience.
- Education
- BS or MS in Robotics, Computer Science, or a related engineering field.
- Visa sponsorship
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
About the job
Integrates and deploys autonomy software with hardware on UAV platforms, supporting testing, troubleshooting, and customer demonstrations.
What you'll do
- Develop and adapt autonomy capabilities for defense applications; integrate software with aircraft, sensors, autopilots, and related systems.
- Deploy and validate autonomy software on embedded platforms, including SIL, HIL, and live flight tests.
- Troubleshoot integration issues and collaborate with engineering teams, vendors, and defense customers.
What they ask for
- 5–10 years of hands-on experience with robotic systems, including hardware, software, and integration.
- Experience integrating robotics or autonomy products with Pixhawk autopilots (ArduPilot and/or PX4), and with communication buses and protocols.
- Experience with Docker, containerized deployments, Linux-based operating systems, git, Visual Studio Code, and GitLab.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; willingness to travel frequently (estimated 10–20%).
Nice to have
- Experience in modern C++ (2011, 2017, or 2020 standards), Bash, and CMake; Agile development and CI/CD.
- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, COTS hardware integration experience, or active U.S. SECRET clearance.
Pay
$135K – $185K USD base salary
Tools
C++, Pixhawk, ArduPilot, PX4, UART/RS232/RS422/RS485, SPI/QSPI, I2C, Ethernet
AI focus
Develops, integrates, and deploys autonomy software for unmanned aerial vehicles.
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