Platform Engineer

Blue Signal Search; Aberdeen (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity participation

Company paid medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) match

Paid time off plus holidays

Direct exposure to product strategy and development

Job summary

Blue Signal Search is seeking a Platform Engineer to join their innovative team in Aberdeen, North Carolina. This position involves the development of advanced autonomous systems for critical applications. You will play a key role in guiding projects from conception through field validation and work closely with a hands-on engineering group.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience across various engineering domains and a passion for solving real-world technical challenges. This role offers a competitive salary, benefits, and the chance to actively shape future products.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience in systems development or validation.
• Ability to work across multiple engineering domains.
• Experience with avionics, communications, and embedded controls.
• Background in structured test activity.
• Knowledge of CAD or mechanical design tools.
• Strong collaboration abilities in onsite settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of autonomous airborne systems.
• Coordinate mechanical, electrical, and software integration.
• Plan and execute evaluations to improve designs.
• Assess hardware for performance and reliability.
• Troubleshoot cross-functional issues.
• Support prototype to production transfer.
• Collaborate closely with onsite team.
• Contribute in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Hands-on experience in autonomous aviation

Cross-domain engineering skills

Platform integration experience

Test activity support

Knowledge of CAD tools

Strong communication skills

Education

Advanced degree in relevant field

Tools

Industry-standard autopilot frameworks

Job description

Our client is building advanced autonomous platforms for real world defense and mission critical applications, and they are hiring a Platform Engineer to help shape the next phase of that growth. This is an opportunity to join a small, highly hands on engineering group where strong contributors have real ownership, broad technical influence, and the ability to move programs from concept through field validation. The environment is fast moving, collaborative, and ideal for engineers who enjoy solving hard problems across disciplines while helping develop practical, deployable systems. The role is onsite in the Aberdeen, North Carolina area and is best suited for someone who wants to be embedded with the team and close to the hardware.

This Role Offers

• Competitive compensation with flexibility for exceptional talent
• Meaningful equity participation as part of total rewards
• Company paid medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) match
• Generous paid time off plus holidays
• Direct exposure to product strategy, prototype development, and real world testing
• A chance to help scale a growing engineering organization and influence future products and team culture

What You Will Do

• Spearhead the creation and maturation of autonomous airborne systems, guiding programs from initial ideation through deployment readiness.
• Coordinate mechanical, electrical, avionics, and software elements into a reliable field deployable system
• Plan and execute bench, ground, and flight evaluations, then translate test data into design improvements
• Assess radios, sensors, payloads, and third party hardware for performance, fit, and long term reliability
• Troubleshoot cross functional issues spanning structures, power, communications, and embedded controls
• Support prototype to production transfer by improving serviceability, manufacturability, and repeatability across the platform
• Partner closely with a small onsite team where ownership extends from design decisions to field validation
• Contribute in a fast-paced build environment that values initiative, sound judgment, and practical problem solving

What You Bring

• Minimum 3 years of hands‑on experience supporting the development, integration, or validation of sophisticated systems within autonomous aviation, robotics, aerospace, automotive, defense, or similar technical industries.
• Demonstrated ability to work across multiple engineering domains rather than only one narrow specialty
• Experience with platform integration involving avionics, communications, power systems, sensors, payloads, or embedded controls
• Background supporting structured test activity and using results to improve system performance
• Working knowledge of industry-standard autopilot frameworks, communication protocols, and flight management platforms used in autonomous and unmanned systems.
• Working knowledge of CAD or mechanical design tools used for packaging, mounting, and system integration
• Strong communication skills and the ability to operate effectively in a highly collaborative onsite setting
• Comfort with ambiguity, urgency, and high ownership expectations

Preferred Background

• Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, or a related field
• Hands‑on experience deploying, monitoring, and supporting autonomous technologies in operational field settings.
• Exposure to defense aligned programs or mission driven hardware development
• Ability to satisfy background screening requirements and remain eligible for future clearance sponsorship if needed

Why Candidates Are Interested

This opportunity stands out because engineers are trusted to do more than just own one subsystem. The team is looking for people who want to help design, build, test, and refine complete platforms while contributing ideas in a growing organization. Candidates who enjoy startup energy, technical breadth, mission alignment, and visible impact should find this especially compelling.