3 months ago
San Diego, CA, USAStaff+
Base Salary
$238k - $262k/yr
Responsibilities
- Deliver integrated, flight-ready software across autopilot, onboard compute, and vehicle systems.
- Lead hardware bring-up, integration, validation, and issue resolution through flight.
- Define and control software interfaces across flight systems, payloads, and ground control.
- Set software architecture, coding standards, and design patterns within the team.
- Make system-level tradeoffs across embedded software, autonomy, and test infrastructure.
- Design and scale automated unit, integration, SIL, and HIL test frameworks.
- Develop and operate HIL environments with realistic sensor, telemetry, and vehicle simulation.
- Establish repeatable verification workflows and build tools for real-time monitoring, data capture, and post-flight analysis.
- Support flight test campaigns and turn test data into actionable improvements.
- Provide technical direction across software integration and verification efforts.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience in lieu of a degree.
- 15+ years of experience in UAS, robotics, autonomous systems, or software engineering.
- U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense security clearance.
- Hands-on experience with autopilot systems such as PX4, ArduPilot, or similar platforms, plus MAVLink-based communication.
- Strong proficiency in Python and C or C++ for flight software and test frameworks.
- Demonstrated experience designing and operating SIL and HIL systems.
- Staff- or principal-level experience owning cross-functional technical direction.
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to engineering and program stakeholders and align hardware, systems, and manufacturing teams.
- Experience building reusable tools and frameworks, diagnosing integration and test failures, and working hands-on in laboratory and flight-line environments.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
- 401(k) retirement savings plan.
- Equity grants for new hires.
- Unlimited PTO and a generous holiday calendar, including a November and December holiday hiatus.
- Generous parental leave.
- Lifestyle Spending Account, FSA, DCFSA, and HSA.
- Hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident insurance.
- Basic life/AD&D and short- and long-term disability insurance covered 100% by Firestorm, with additional life insurance available for purchase.
- Free 24/7 mental health resources plus work-life services such as legal and financial support.
- On-site role based at the company headquarters in San Diego, California, with work in office, manufacturing, laboratory, and flight-line environments.
