Forward Deployed Engineer - Embedded

Roboticsconnected; Oxnard (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in a high-growth defense tech

Medical, dental, vision

401k matching

PTO and paid sick leave

Monthly wellness stipend

Daily catered lunch (office)

Parental leave

Meaningful impact on national security

Job summary

Swarm Aero is seeking a software engineer to deploy and integrate our C2 systems in diverse customer environments. You will own critical software integrations, debug complex distributed systems in the field, and contribute to core service development that directly affects operational readiness.

You will work with U.S. military and government customers on-site and remotely, translating complex requirements into robust software solutions while supporting on-call rotations and non-standard hours.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field.
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python, C/C++, Golang or Java.
• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals and Linux scripting.
• Based in or willing to relocate to Oxnard, California.

Responsibilities

• Build and own software integrations for C2 systems in customer environments from deployment to production reliability.
• Debug complex distributed systems by analyzing logs, network traffic, and performance metrics.
• Contribute to core service development and translate field insights into product improvements.
• Write code daily across the full stack and develop monitoring/reliability solutions.
• Support on-call rotations and irregular hours aligned to mission tempo.
• Collaborate with U.S. military and government program offices on-site and remotely.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Golang

Java

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Infrastructure as Code

Job description

About the Role

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results. The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

About the Role

Most software engineers never see their code tested against reality. At Swarm Aero, that's the baseline.

What You'll Do

• Build and own critical software integrations that bring our C2 systems to life in customer environments -- from initial deployment through production reliability across diverse hardware configurations and operational contexts
• Debug complex distributed systems issues in the field, analyzing logs, network traffic, and system performance to resolve failures fast and with minimal support
• Contribute to core service development alongside the engineering team, bringing field insight back into the product and shipping improvements that make a direct operational difference
• Write code daily across the full stack -- solving customer-specific integration challenges, contributing to core service development, and building monitoring and reliability solutions that hold up in the field
• Support continuous operational environments, including non-standard hours, on-call response, and rotational coverage aligned to mission tempo
• Collaborate with U.S. military and government program offices on-site and remotely, translating complex operational requirements into software solutions

This Role Is For You If

• You want to see your code run in high-stakes, real-world environments -- not just pass CI
• You thrive on solving hard integration and deployment challenges independently, without a safety net
• You're comfortable being the most technical person in the room in dynamic, unpredictable field conditions
• You adapt to shifting schedules and operational demands without losing rigor or precision

This Role Is NOT

• A pilot position or flight test engineer role
• Primarily hands-on hardware work (electronics, wiring, mechanical assembly)
• A traditional SRE or DevOps role with predictable hours and controlled environments

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, or equivalent demonstrated ability
• Strong proficiency in at least one major programming language (Python, C/C++, Golang, or Java)
• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals: NAT, DNS/mDNS, UDP/TCP protocols, multicast, and firewall configuration
• Experience with Linux system administration and shell scripting
• Must be based in (or willing to relocate to) Oxnard, California
• Proven debugging skills across complex software systems -- you know how to read logs, use debuggers, and trace issues systematically
• Excellent communication skills for engaging with U.S. government and military customers and internal engineering teams
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance. Active Secret clearance preferred but not required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure-as-code
• Background in distributed systems, real-time systems, or robotics software
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation
• Experience in customer-facing engineering or technical sales engineering roles
• Prior defense, intelligence community, or aerospace software experience
• Comfort operating in non-permissive or resource-constrained environments

ITAR requirement

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Swarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.

What We Offer

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company
• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k
• PTO and paid sick leave
• Monthly wellness stipend
• Daily catered lunch (office)
• Paid parental leave
• Direct impact on a critical national security mission
• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems