# Senior Systems Software Engineer

**Company:** [NODA AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/noda-ai)
**Location:** Austin, TX
**Role:** Embedded Engineering
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** C++, Python, Dds, ROS, Ros2, Zeromq, Mqtt, gRPC, TCP/IP, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, OpenTelemetry, Jaeger
**Posted:** 2026-07-22

> Systems Software Engineer debugging cross-layer issues (software, networking, RF, hardware) in real-time multi-agent unmanned systems. Requires 5+ years experience with distributed real-time middleware, strong C++/Python skills, and ability to perform hardware diagnostics in contested environments.

## Job Description

## Key Responsibilities
- Debug and resolve cross-system issues spanning software, real-time messaging, networking, RF, and hardware — owning the investigation even when the root cause sits outside your primary depth.
- Pinpoint performance and latency issues in cross-system infrastructure (messaging fabric, gateway, runtime) supporting multi-agent coordination, and drive them to resolution.
- Write and maintain software stacks under a systems architect's supervision, for work outside Core Engineering sub-teams' product ownership.
- Investigate and characterize system behavior under degraded, intermittent, or contested link conditions.
- Perform hands-on hardware diagnostics using basic bench tools (multimeter, oscilloscope) to isolate issues at the hardware/software boundary.
- Hold credible technical conversations with networking, RF, and hardware SMEs — translate their findings into system-level constraints and software fixes.
- Contribute to System Health: performance baselining, system-level verification, crash analysis to root cause, and KPI/dashboard evidence used for release go/no-go decisions, with a focus on driving measurable improvements in latency, reliability, and uptime.
- Identify and mitigate cross-system risks impacting mission effectiveness, including in live exercises or deployments.
- Support integration tooling, CI/CD for cross-system components, and automated regression in SIL/HIL environments.
- Maintain Interface Control Documents and integration contracts between major platform components, and translate field/operational requirements into system constraints Core Engineering and architects can build against.
- Build observability into cross-system components (logging, tracing, metrics) to make the next debugging pass faster.

## Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant time debugging distributed, real-time, or multi-service systems in production.
- Strong proficiency in C++ and/or Python, with the ability to write production-quality software with architect-level supervision on system design.
- Experience with real-time or low-latency messaging/middleware (e.g., DDS, ROS/ROS2, ZeroMQ, MQTT, gRPC) in distributed or multi-agent contexts.
- Solid working knowledge of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, multicast, basic routing) sufficient to debug connectivity/performance issues and converse credibly with networking engineers.
- Working familiarity — conversational depth plus basic debugging, not specialist design work — with RF/wireless concepts (link quality, interference, basic link budget reasoning).
- Comfortable using basic hardware bench tools (multimeter, oscilloscope) to debug at the hardware/software boundary.
- Demonstrated ability to debug across layers — application, network, RF, and hardware-adjacent — and to know when to pull in a specialist versus solve it directly.
- Experience with Linux systems and command-line debugging tooling.
- U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain a security clearance.

## Preferred Qualifications
- Experience operating or debugging systems in contested/denied conditions (jamming, intermittent links, degraded bandwidth).
- Experience with Linux-based or real-time systems in resource-constrained, embedded, or edge environments (embedded Linux, bare-metal, RTOS).
- Familiarity with containerization for edge deployment (Docker/K8s) and observability tooling (OpenTelemetry, Jaeger, or similar).
- Experience with simulation, HIL/SIL pipelines, or sim-to-field validation workflows.
- Familiarity with security considerations in tactical comms or cross-domain solutions.
- Prior work in defense, aerospace, or other mission-critical/regulated environments.
- Experience authoring ICDs, requirements traceability, or MBSE artifacts.
- Exposure to tactical radios, MANET, or mesh networking in a support/integration capacity.

## Skills & Attributes
- Comfortable being the generalist in the room — credible across software, network, RF, and hardware conversations without needing to be the deepest expert in any one.
- Strong ownership instinct; debugs to root cause rather than handing off at the first sign of unfamiliar territory.
- Results-oriented — thinks in terms of measurable system KPIs (latency, reliability, uptime), not just task completion.
- Clear written communicator — translates field/debugging findings into structured specs, crash reports, and feedback Core Engineering can act on.
- Operates well under a systems architect's supervision on unfamiliar scope, without needing constant direction.

## What We Offer
- Hybrid work environment.
- Competitive compensation.
- Flexible PTO + federal holidays.
- 401(k).
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits.
- Free One Medical membership.
- Growth Path at NODA.

## Similar jobs

- [Lead Software Engineer, Advanced Pilot Assistant Software](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/1e28b327-72cc-4904-804c-cc574bbe8dc8) - Beacon AI - San Carlos, CA - $185k – $260k/yr
- [Manufacturing Software Lead](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/bd27dcd9-2485-4780-98b5-95855a3d251a) - Fab2 - Austin, TX
- [Embedded Software Lead, Vacuum Systems](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/c2634791-7352-4b17-82d1-f1fcbf139697) - Fab2 - Austin, TX
- [Senior Software Engineer - Robot Software Infrastructure](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/c28ef697-6ba9-45bb-b546-5b516f419480) - Zoox - Foster City, CA - $219k – $315k/yr
- [Senior Systems Engineer](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/1effe762-f722-4320-a147-785dc8dbfbdc) - Parallel Systems - Los Angeles, CA - $163k – $180k/yr

**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f7e1fa3d-4529-46a0-bc44-e9a333d63874
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f7e1fa3d-4529-46a0-bc44-e9a333d63874