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Senior Command and Control Software Engineer

140k – 220kClarksburg, MDOnsite5+ YOE
Summary

Senior embedded engineer developing real-time C++ edge software on NVIDIA Jetson devices for electromagnetic spectrum operations, signal processing, and C2 interfaces. Owns data pipelines, protocols, and deployment from bring-up through hardware integration.

About the role

What You'll Do

  • Develop edge software and real-time pipelines in modern C++ that run on deployed NVIDIA Jetson (ARM/Linux) devices and support Command & Control (C2) systems
  • Build low-latency, high-throughput data flows between processing stages using zero-copy IPC and pub/sub messaging (e.g. iceoryx2, ZeroMQ)
  • Integrate edge software with radios and RF front-ends; work close to the signal — IQ data, spectral processing, detection, and direction finding
  • Design and own wire-level data formats, packet ABIs, and interface contracts (e.g. Protobuf) that guarantee reliable data exchange across systems and teams
  • Design and implement event-driven alerting and architecture that surface important information about sensor detections
  • Develop telemetry software for edge devices that communicate with remote C2 systems, and build and maintain on-device storage for operational and sensor data
  • Integrate and optimize edge ML inference (e.g. TensorRT / ONNX) into the real-time path where it adds operational value
  • Own the build and deployment workflow (CMake, Conan, Docker) and drive hardware-in-the-loop bring-up
  • Work closely with systems, hardware, and integration teams to deliver end-to-end functionality, and set technical direction for the embedded codebase

Minimum Qualifications

  • 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, with substantial time in edge, embedded, or systems-level environments
  • Strong modern C++ (C++17/20) on Linux, plus Python for tooling and automation
  • Experience building real-time or low-latency systems: deterministic pipelines, queuing, concurrency, and processing under throughput and timing constraints
  • Demonstrated ownership of wire-level data formats, custom protocols, or packet/interface contracts (Protobuf or equivalent)
  • Comfort with C++ build and dependency tooling (CMake, a package manager such as Conan) and containerized dev/deploy workflows (Docker)
  • Track record of taking embedded software from bring-up through deployment on real hardware, working across firmware, host software, sensors, and integration teams
  • Ability to set technical direction and own a meaningful slice of architecture on a small team

Preferred Qualifications

  • RF / DSP fundamentals: IQ data, spectral processing, detection, or direction finding
  • Experience on NVIDIA Jetson or comparable ARM/SoC edge platforms
  • Zero-copy IPC or shared-memory pub/sub frameworks (iceoryx2, DDS, or similar)
  • Edge ML inference deployment (TensorRT, ONNX)
  • Sensor integration and fusion (IMU, multi-rate sensor inputs)
  • Background in defense, EW/SIGINT, or other mission-critical real-time systems

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary range: $140,000—$220,000
  • Equity included in most full-time, high-demand roles
  • Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents
  • Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents
  • Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December
  • Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year
  • A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption
  • A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend
  • 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%
Skills
C++C++17C++20PythonLinuxCMakeConanDockerProtobufZeroMQiceoryx2NVIDIA JetsonARMTensorRTONNX
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