Principal Autonomous UAV Software Architect & Team Lead

CHIRP Robotics Corporation; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Stock options

Job summary

CHIRP Robotics in Torrance, CA seeks a Principal Technical Lead Software Engineer to architect the UAV software stack for autonomous navigation, mapping, and operation in GPS-denied environments. You will balance hands-on development with technical leadership, guiding a team to high standards and safe practice.

The role requires 8+ years in software, 4+ years in leading UAV architecture, and experience with sensor fusion, edge computing, and real-time systems.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• 4+ years leading technical architecture for autonomous UAVs or safety-critical robotics systems.
• Flight testing experience with real-world deployments.

Responsibilities

• Architect autonomous flight software architecture for 3D perception and real-time planning.
• Lead sensor fusion design using radar, LiDAR, cameras, and IMUs for GPS-denied localization.
• Collaborate with hardware teams to select edge-compute platforms and optimize SWaP.
• Oversee safety-critical development processes and HIL testing pipelines.
• Provide technical leadership and establish coding standards across the team.
• Supervise the engineering software team while remaining an active individual contributor.

Skills

Architectural leadership (autonomous)

C++ (modern, 17/20)

Python

ROS/ROS2

SLAM/VIO algorithms

Edge computing & SWaP optimization

Real-time RTOS (QNX/FreeRTOS/Embedded)

Edge AI deployment

Education

BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related

Tools

NVIDIA Jetson

PX4 Autopilot/ArduPilot

Qt/C++ toolchains

Embedded Linux

Job description

CHIRP Robotics in Torrance, CA seeks a Principal Technical Lead Software Engineer to architect the UAV software stack for autonomous navigation, mapping, and operation in GPS-denied environments. You will balance hands-on development with technical leadership, guiding a team to high standards and safe practice.

The role requires 8+ years in software, 4+ years in leading UAV architecture, and experience with sensor fusion, edge computing, and real-time systems.