C++ Drone Autonomy Engineer (Hardware–Software)

Applied Intuition; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Intuition is seeking a Software Engineer for the Drone Stack to design and integrate autonomy and vehicle intelligence systems across hardware and software domains. You will deploy autonomy algorithms in SIL, HIL, and live test environments, interfacing with sensors and embedded platforms, and collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams for robust hardware-software integration.

The role emphasizes C++ engineering with a focus on robotics integration, live flight test support, and

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Robotics, Computer Science or related engineering field.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience working with robotic systems (hardware, software, integration).
• Experience with C++ programming.
• Experience integrating autonomy/robotics products with Pixhawk autopilots (ArduPilot/PX4).
• Experience with communication busses & protocols: UART/RS232/RS422/RS485, SPI/QSPI, I2C, Ethernet.
• Experience developing in Docker, containerized deployment environments, and Linux-based OS.
• Experience using Git, VS Code, GitLab.

Responsibilities

• Adapt and develop modular autonomy capabilities across defense problems.
• Integrate and deploy autonomy solutions onto embedded Linux and hardware platforms.
• Interface with sensors and data collection; troubleshoot integration issues for reliability.
• Integrate autonomy software with hardware to support aircraft autopilots and sensors.
• Support live flight tests of autonomy software on UAVs.
• Collaborate with 3rd party UAV vendors on autonomy software integration onto OEM hardware.
• Perform system-level setup, testing, and validation (SIL/HIL).
• Work with autonomy engineers to implement service-oriented architecture and IPC for autonomous UASs.

Skills

Robotics experience

C++ programming

Clear communication

Willingness to travel

U.S. Citizenship

Security clearance eligibility

Education

BS or MS in Robotics, Computer Science or related engineering field

Tools

Pixhawk autopilots (ArduPilot/PX4)

Docker

Linux

Git

Visual Studio Code

GitLab

CMake

Bash

Jetson

Raspberry Pi

Job description

Applied Intuition is seeking a Software Engineer for the Drone Stack to design and integrate autonomy and vehicle intelligence systems across hardware and software domains. You will deploy autonomy algorithms in SIL, HIL, and live test environments, interfacing with sensors and embedded platforms, and collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams for robust hardware-software integration.

The role emphasizes C++ engineering with a focus on robotics integration, live flight test support, and