Software Engineer - Payload Integrations

Title: Software Engineer - Payload Integrations Location: Costa Mesa, California, United States

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Payload Integrations team owns everything that connects to the vehicle beyond the base platform. This includes gimbals and EO/IR sensors, arming and fuzing devices, weapons payloads, radios, and other mission hardware. We build the software and interfaces that enable these payloads to reliably run on the vehicle. Nearly every customer program needs a new or modified payload, which makes this team a critical contributor to nearly everything we ship. Our work goes from the lab bench to hardware-in-the-loop testing to live flight, and it has to work in a variety of demanding operational environments.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are looking for a Software Engineer to join the Payload Integrations team. You will design, build, and maintain the software that brings new sensors, communications systems, and mission payloads onto our autonomous vehicles. You will work closely with hardware, electrical, autonomy, and systems engineering teams, as well as outside payload vendors, to turn new hardware into dependable, well-tested components of the vehicle. If you are self-motivated, hold yourself to high standards, enjoy working where software meets hardware, and do well in a fast-paced, high-autonomy environment, this role is for you.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Design and implement software integrations for gimbals, EO/IR sensors, radios, arming and fuzing devices, and other mission payloads on autonomous vehicles.
• Define and maintain clean, reusable interfaces between payloads and the vehicle software stack, to enable new payloads without changes to autonomy code.
• Work through vendor interface control documents (ICDs), implement device drivers and protocol handlers, and lead hardware bring-up in the lab.
• Build simulation, emulation, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test infrastructure to evaluate payload behavior before flight.
• Support integration events, ground tests, and flight tests, and root-cause issues across software, firmware, and hardware boundaries.
• Partner with program teams to scope, estimate, and deliver payload integrations for customer projects on tight timelines.
• Contribute to the safety-critical software behind arming and weapons-related payloads, with a high bar for rigor, review, and testing.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of professional software development experience, with a focus on embedded systems, robotics, or hardware integration.
• Strong experience with Rust and/or C++, plus working proficiency in Python.
• Hands-on experience integrating hardware over common interfaces and protocols (e.g., UART/RS-422, CAN, Ethernet/UDP, SPI/I2C).
• Experience reading datasheets and ICDs and turning them into robust software implementations.
• Comfort debugging at the hardware/software boundary using lab equipment and bus/packet analysis.
• Experience developing on Linux-based systems.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, including working with external vendors and cross-functional engineering teams.
• US Persons: Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience integrating gimbals, cameras, EO/IR sensors, or tactical radios and datalinks.
• Familiarity with safety-critical or arming/fuzing systems and related development practices.
• Experience with UAS, missiles, or other aerospace/defense platforms.
• Experience building HIL/SITL test environments or hardware emulators.
• Familiarity with middleware and serialization frameworks (e.g., Protobuf, gRPC, DDS, MAVLink).
• Experience with embedded Linux, real-time systems, or resource-constrained environments.
• Background supporting field integration and flight test campaigns.
• Active U.S. security clearance, or the ability to obtain one.