Lead Software Engineer, Advanced Pilot Assistant Software – Autonomy/Robotics

Jobtailor; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in San Carlos, CA is seeking a senior robotics software engineer to design, build, and deploy embedded software powering advanced pilot assistance systems. You will own autonomy features from concept through deployment, focusing on reliability and performance within production environments.

Requirements include 5+ years in robotic/embedded software, strong C++/Python skills, real-time systems experience, and familiarity with ROS or DDS.

Qualifications

• 5+ years designing and deploying robotic software/embedded systems in production environments.
• Strong software engineering skills in C++ and/or Python.
• Experience with systems-level or embedded programming.
• Experience building real-time or interactive systems for time-sensitive decisions.
• Familiarity with autonomy systems such as planning, decision-making, or reasoning.
• Experience integrating with perception or sensor pipelines.
• Hands-on experience with embedded or edge compute platforms.
• Experience debugging hardware/software interactions.
• Ability to deliver complex systems end-to-end in fast-moving environments.
• Experience with safety-critical or mission-critical systems (aviation or robotics a bonus).
• Familiarity with ROS or DDS is a bonus.
• Experience with human operators in the loop, simulations or real-time control is a bonus.
• Must be a U.S. Person and authorized to work in the United States.
• No visa sponsorship or transfers available.
• Must work on-site in San Carlos, CA at least 3 days/week or willing to relocate.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy robotic and embedded software powering pilot assistance systems in production environments.
• Own autonomy-related features from concept to deployment with emphasis on reliability and performance.
• Write, review, and maintain Python and C++ code across autonomy, systems, and embedded components.
• Integrate software with hardware, sensors, and perception or data pipelines for autonomous decision-making.
• Optimize software for edge compute environments, including latency and resource use, with safety mechanisms.
• Lead testing, validation, and deployment to meet safety-critical requirements.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to technical direction through design and code reviews.

Skills

Robotic software development

C++ programming

Python programming

Embedded systems

Real-time systems

Autonomy systems integration

Sensor pipelines integration

Edge compute

Hardware/software debugging

Safety-critical systems

ROS

DDS

Simulation environments

Human-in-the-loop

Tools

ROS

DDS

Simulation environments

Edge compute platforms

Job description

• Design, build, and deploy robotic and embedded software powering advanced pilot assistance systems in production environments
• Own autonomy-related features or subsystems from concept through deployment, driving work from 0 to 1 with a focus on reliability and performance
• Write, review, and maintain Python and C++ code across autonomy, systems, and embedded components
• Integrate software with hardware, sensors, and perception or data ingestion pipelines for autonomous and operator-in-the-loop decision-making
• Optimize software for edge compute environments, including CPU/GPU usage and latency, and implement safety mechanisms and fail-safes
• Lead testing, validation, and deployment to meet safety-critical and mission-critical requirements
• Mentor engineers and contribute to technical direction through design reviews, code reviews, and hands-on collaboration

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience designing and deploying robotic software and/or embedded systems in production environments
• Strong software engineering skills in C++ and/or Python
• Experience with systems-level or embedded programming
• Experience building real-time or interactive systems supporting time-sensitive user decisions
• Familiarity with autonomy systems such as planning, decision-making, or reasoning
• Experience integrating with perception or sensor pipelines
• Hands-on experience with embedded or edge compute platforms
• Experience debugging hardware/software interactions
• Ability to deliver complex systems end-to-end in fast-moving, ambiguous environments
• Experience with safety-critical or mission-critical systems, including aviation or robotics, is a bonus
• Familiarity with ROS or DDS is a bonus
• Experience with human operators in the loop, simulation environments, or real-time control systems is a bonus
• Must be a U.S. Person due to U.S. export control regulations
• Must be authorized to work lawfully in the United States
• No visa sponsorship or visa transfers available
• Must be able to work in San Carlos, CA at least 3 days per week or be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area
• Must be available to start full-time employment within 30 days

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in designing and deploying robotic and embedded software, with a strong focus on C++ and Python programming. Capable of integrating software with hardware and optimizing for edge compute environments while ensuring safety and reliability in mission-critical systems.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Robotic Software Development
• Embedded Systems Programming
• C++ Programming
• Python Programming
• Safety-Critical Systems Experience

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Robotic Software Development
• Embedded Systems Programming
• C++ Programming
• Python Programming
• Real-Time Systems
• Systems-Level Programming
• Debugging Hardware/Software Interactions
• Autonomy Systems Integration
• Edge Compute Optimization
• Safety Mechanisms Implementation

Soft Skills

• Mentoring Engineers
• Collaboration
• Technical Direction

Industry Keywords

• Safety-Critical Systems
• Mission-Critical Systems
• Aviation
• Robotics
• Autonomous Systems

Tools & Technologies

• ROS
• DDS
• Simulation Environments
• Edge Compute Platforms