Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Embedded Software Engineer

Description

The company builds unmanned aerial vehicles and is hiring an embedded software engineer for its Bingen, WA site.

You will help design, build and deploy embedded flight software and ground control station software that together support intelligent, autonomous flight.

The role requires a solid background in embedded systems and 2+ years of experience. You will work with hardware, systems and software teams on flight control, communication, navigation and operator interfaces.

The team values clean, maintainable code and a willingness to keep learning.

Engineers here work on complex aircraft across the full life cycle, from product development and manufacturing to direct support for airline customers.

Responsibilities

• Software development (about 55%): design, implement and maintain embedded software for UAV flight platforms and help build ground control station software, including user interfaces, telemetry and mission tools.
• Write reliable, well-documented code in C++, C, Python and/or MATLAB.
• Build and support real-time flight software, including control loops, sensor drivers and mission logic.
• Implement and test communication protocols such as UART, CAN, TCP/IP, UDP and serial.
• Create software tools for UAV system configuration and support existing ones.
• Develop software modules and system services for embedded Linux, covering process management, device interfaces and inter-process communication.
• Testing and integration (about 20%): support testing and debugging in the lab and on field flight tests, and work with hardware, electrical and systems engineers to bring up and integrate new UAV platforms.
• Documentation and architecture (about 10%): document internal designs, software architecture and interfaces so the code stays maintainable and the team stays aligned.
• Support and maintenance (about 10%): maintain and support existing embedded and ground control software and configuration tools.
• Professional development (about 5%): track UAV industry developments, keep building your skills, collaborate with other software developers and report regularly on progress.

Requirements

• A B.S. or M.S. in electrical engineering, computer engineering, aerospace engineering or a related field.
• 2+ years of embedded software development, from industry work or substantial project work.
• Experience with C++ and Python.
• Familiarity with embedded Linux or a real-time operating system (RTOS).
• Exposure to UAV flight control, sensor integration or telemetry systems.
• Experience with Git and tools such as GitLab or similar.
• A habit of writing clean, well-documented, maintainable code.
• Familiarity with modern UI architecture and frameworks such as Qt, PyQt or similar.
• You must be able to work legally in the US, with a valid work visa and work authorization.
• Preferred: an M.S. in embedded systems engineering, software engineering or control systems engineering.
• Preferred: experience with UAV autopilot software, ground control station software, or UAV flight testing or platform integration.
• Preferred: awareness of aerospace safety standards or robust software validation practices, and a basic understanding of guidance, navigation and control (GNC).
• Preferred: exposure to RTOS and/or safety-critical software environments.

Conditions

Role is on-site, with about 95% of time at the Bingen, WA location.

Physical demands include daily sitting, standing and walking through office and production areas (including uneven surfaces), reading screens and drawings, carrying or lifting up to 30 lbs / 14 kg, and occasional squatting or kneeling to reach low shelving.

Travel independently at short notice, several times a month.

Required PPE may include safety shoes, safety glasses, hearing protection, respirators or masks, and protective gloves, depending on site and customer requirements.

Salary range is $81,000 - $114,000 per year. Actual figures may vary by geographic differential, and individual pay depends on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Full job description is available to candidates who reach the interview stage or on request.

Employment type: US direct hire. Experience level: professional. Job family: software engineering.

Equal opportunity: the company welcomes applications from all backgrounds and offers reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary, incentive pay that may include profit sharing, a retirement savings plan and the option to join an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
• Paid time off, including personal time and holidays, plus a generous paid parental leave program.
• Comprehensive insurance: medical (traditional and high-deductible plans), prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) and supplemental coverage.
• Access to a global learning platform with over 10,000 e-learning courses on employability, certifications and career paths, plus accelerated development programs and national and international mobility.