Forward Deployed Engineer
Leads software integrations and deployments of autonomous orchestration platform with customer systems, building adapters for vehicles, sensors, and C2 tools. Requires 3+ years experience in Python/C++, Linux, networking, and customer-facing technical work with up to 50% travel.
About the job
Key Responsibilities
Software Integration & Deployment
- Build adapters and translation layers that connect our orchestration platform to diverse autonomous vehicle control protocols and APIs (MAVLink, custom vehicle APIs, etc.)
- Develop interfaces for new sensors and payloads, integrating their data streams into our world model
- Create integrations with third-party C2 systems (ATAK, TAK Server, etc.) and other software platforms in the autonomy stack
- Map high-level orchestration tasks to platform-specific behaviors and commands for each vehicle type
- Transform and integrate environmental data from various sources into our common data representation
- Deploy and configure ML models in operational environments
- Design and implement custom network configurations for multi-domain connectivity, handling degraded/intermittent links, secure networks (VPNs, firewalls), and air-ground-sea communication scenarios
Customer & Partner Technical Leadership
- Serve as technical liaison between customers/partners and internal engineering teams
- Lead on-site integration efforts at partner facilities (vehicle manufacturers, sensor providers, component suppliers)
- Conduct technical demonstrations and training sessions for customers and operators
- Translate operational requirements and field feedback into actionable product improvements
- Support pre-sales technical discussions and scoping for customer engagements
- Validate partner platforms and third-party integrations in operational settings
Platform Contributions
- Build shared libraries and reusable integration components that accelerate future deployments
- Develop deployment tooling and automation for software delivery in secure, constrained environments
- Extend our behavior library with new capabilities based on platform-specific features
- Contribute bug fixes and improvements affecting customer deployments
- Document integration patterns and best practices
- Funnel product requirements from field learnings back to core engineering and product teams
Field Operations Support
- Execute system validation, troubleshooting, and performance optimization in real-world environments
- Provide technical support during live demonstrations and operational deployments
- Collect and analyze system performance data, integration issues, and failure modes
- Develop deployment documentation and troubleshooting guides
- Debug integration issues discovered during field testing
Required Qualifications
- 3+ years of software engineering experience building integrations, APIs, or distributed systems
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience)
- Strong proficiency in Python and/or C++ for building integrations, adapters, and automation
- Experience with networked systems and protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, multicast, routing, subnetting)
- Advanced Linux proficiency (command line, scripting, debugging, remote system administration)
- Experience integrating with external APIs, protocols, or hardware systems
- Proven ability to understand complex technical systems and build translation/adapter layers
- Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills across software boundaries
- Professional communication skills for engaging customers, partners, and engineering teams
- Comfortable with 50% travel to customer sites, partner facilities, test ranges, and remote locations
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with autonomous systems, robotics, or unmanned vehicles (UAS, UGV, USV, UUV)
- Hands-on experience with vehicle control protocols (MAVLink, ROS/ROS2, custom vehicle APIs)
- DevSecOps experience deploying software in secure, constrained, or classified environments
- Experience with tactical communications systems and C2 software (ATAK, TAK Server, Link 16, etc.)
- Knowledge of ML model deployment and inference optimization
- Background in RF communications, link budgets, or connectivity troubleshooting
- Experience with embedded systems, microcontrollers, or firmware interfaces
- Familiarity with sensor integration (cameras, LIDAR, radar, EO/IR, RF)
- Prior forward deployed, field engineering, or customer-facing technical role experience
- Experience with DoD environments, military test protocols, ITAR compliance, or cybersecurity requirements
- Existing security clearance
Skills
Python, C++, Linux, TCP/IP, Udp, Mavlink, ROS, Ros2, Atak, Tak Server, DevSecOps, Kubernetes, Docker, Ml Models, Lidar
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