Forward Deployed Engineer

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