Flight Software and Embedded Systems Engineer - Build Flight Software for Next-Generation Autonomous AircraftFort Worth, Texas | On-site
Opportunity SummaryJoin a rapidly growing aerospace and defense company developing advanced unmanned aircraft systems designed for demanding operational environments. The engineering team owns the complete product lifecycle, from aircraft design and embedded electronics through manufacturing, flight testing, and production. Engineers work closely together across software, hardware, avionics, and flight operations to rapidly develop, validate, and deploy new capabilities. As a Senior Flight Software Engineer, you will lead development of the embedded flight software that controls the aircraft. This role combines flight control software, embedded firmware, avionics integration, and hands-on aircraft testing. You'll customize and extend modern autopilot architectures, integrate new hardware, support flight testing, and solve complex software and hardware challenges that directly impact aircraft performance and reliability.
Job Duties- Develop and maintain embedded flight software for autonomous fixed-wing aircraft using modern autopilot frameworks such as PX4 or ArduPilot.
- Design and implement new flight capabilities, mission behaviors, navigation features, and aircraft control logic.
- Develop embedded firmware for custom avionics, onboard electronics, and flight-critical hardware using C and C++.
- Integrate flight controllers, companion computers, GPS receivers, radios, sensors, ESCs, payloads, and other aircraft subsystems.
- Develop software interfaces supporting communication between avionics, mission computers, payload systems, and ground control stations.
- Support aircraft integration, ground testing, and flight test campaigns by troubleshooting software and hardware issues.
- Analyze flight logs and telemetry to improve vehicle performance, stability, reliability, and autonomous operation.
- Develop and maintain Software-in-the-Loop (SITL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) test environments to validate software before flight.
- Collaborate closely with systems, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and flight test engineers throughout product development.
- Participate in software architecture discussions, code reviews, debugging efforts, and continuous improvement of development processes.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or a related engineering discipline.
- 5+ years of professional experience developing embedded software or flight software.
- Direct experience developing, modifying, or integrating PX4 or ArduPilot on unmanned aircraft platforms.
- Strong programming experience using modern C and C++.
- Experience developing software for embedded Linux or real-time embedded systems.
- Experience integrating avionics hardware including IMUs, GPS receivers, radios, sensors, companion computers, and electronic speed controllers.
- Familiarity with communication protocols such as CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet, and MAVLink.
- Experience using Git and modern software development workflows.
- Comfortable supporting hardware integration and aircraft flight testing.
- Strong troubleshooting skills across software, embedded hardware, and aircraft systems.
- Ability to work on projects subject to U.S. export control regulations.
Preferred Experience- Experience developing both PX4 and ArduPilot flight software.
- Experience creating custom flight modes, autopilot modules, or low-level hardware drivers.
- Understanding of flight controls, aircraft dynamics, sensor fusion, state estimation, or autonomous navigation.
- Experience with Pixhawk-based flight controllers or custom avionics hardware.
- Familiarity with ROS2, companion computer architectures, or autonomous mission software.
- Experience with NVIDIA Jetson or similar embedded computing platforms.
- Experience building or maintaining SITL, HITL, or simulation environments.
- Knowledge of RTOS development and real-time software architecture.
- Python scripting for automation, testing, or analysis.
- Experience using laboratory debugging tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or JTAG.
- Previous experience supporting fixed-wing unmanned aircraft development from prototype through production.
Compensation Details$140,000 - $190,000
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