Senior Mission Systems Software Engineer (C2)

Stealth Mode; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Stealth Mode is seeking a Senior Mission Systems Engineer to design, develop, test, and maintain high-performance C++ software for mission systems on Linux-based embedded platforms. You will work with hardware-adjacent components and distributed networks, ensuring security-first design and reliability across fire control, ground, and flight software domains.

The role involves collaborating with mechanical, electrical, GNC, and operations teams, with occasional travel to support customer

Qualifications

• Strong Modern C++ (23) experience or demonstrable ability to write high-quality C++.
• Strong CS fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, concurrency, memory management, networking, and debugging.
• Linux development, debugging, deployment, operation, maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, test, and maintain high-quality modern C++ software for mission systems.
• Contribute to fire control, ground systems, and flight software efforts.
• Refactor and improve existing software architecture, reliability, maintainability, and testability.
• Work with Linux-based systems deployed on embedded and edge compute platforms.
• Interface with hardware-adjacent systems, sensors, and embedded compute.
• Build software that communicates over real-world networks, including unreliable data links.
• Debug complex system-level issues across software, hardware, networking, and deployment environments.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software, GNC, and operations teams toward a common goal.
• Support occasional field testing, integration events, and customer demonstrations.
• Apply a security-oriented mindset to system design, implementation, deployment, and debugging.
• Travel up to 20% of the time for on-site integration events with external vendors or customers.

Skills

Modern C++

CS fundamentals

Linux

Networking

Hardware-adjacent software

Security clearance eligibility

Travel readiness

Job description

About The Company

We are a stealth-mode Aerospace & Defense startup headquartered in Gardena, CA. Our founding team hails from SpaceX, Anduril, and Lockheed Martin, and we are backed by Joint Staff-level military leadership and several Silicon Valley firms. With a world‑class business development & leadership team already in place, we are well positioned to capitalize on already overwhelming demand.

Role Summary

The Senior Mission Systems Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining high-performance mission‑critical software that supports fire control, flight, ground, and command‑and‑control systems. This role focuses on building robust, secure, and reliable modern C++ applications for Linux‑based embedded and edge computing platforms while integrating with sensors, hardware, and distributed networked systems. The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in modern C++, Linux, networking, and systems engineering, with the ability to troubleshoot complex issues spanning software, hardware, networking, and deployment environments. Success in this role requires close collaboration with cross‑functional engineering teams—including mechanical, electrical, guidance, navigation and control (GNC), and operations—to deliver reliable mission capabilities from development through field integration. Candidates should have strong computer science fundamentals, experience with embedded and distributed systems, and a security‑first approach to software design and implementation. Experience with robotics, command‑and‑control systems, fire control, flight software, cybersecurity, applied mathematics, and modern software architectures is highly desirable. The role also includes occasional travel (up to 20%) to support customer demonstrations, system integration, and field testing.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, test, and maintain high‑quality modern C++ software for mission systems.
• Contribute to fire control, ground systems, and flight software efforts.
• Refactor and improve existing software architecture, reliability, maintainability, and testability.
• Work with Linux‑based systems deployed on embedded and edge compute platforms.
• Interface with hardware‑adjacent systems, sensors, and embedded compute.
• Build software that communicates over real‑world networks, including unreliable or constrained data links.
• Debug complex system‑level issues across software, hardware, networking, and deployment environments.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software, GNC, and operations teams towards a common goal.
• Support occasional field testing, integration events, and customer demonstrations.
• Apply a security‑oriented mindset to system design, implementation, deployment, and debugging.
• Travel up to 20% of the time for on‑site integration events with external vendors or customers.

Required Qualifications

• Strong Modern C++ (23) experience or demonstrable ability to write high‑quality C++
• Strong CS fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, concurrency, memory management, networking, and debugging
• Linux experience: Linux development, debugging, deployment, operation, maintenance
• Networking experience: TCP/UDP, routing, multicast, DNS, DDS, pub/sub, Ethernet, etc
• Understanding of hardware‑adjacent software: communication protocols, sensors, etc
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
• Willingness to travel for up to 20% of the job

Preferred Qualifications

• C++23/C++23 experience
• Robotics experience (ROS/ROS2, control algorithms, path planning, etc)
• C2 (Command and Control) software experience
• Fire control systems (FCS) software experience
• Flight software (FSW) software experience
• Nix/NixOS experience
• Cybersecurity mindset: defense in depth, secure‑by‑default design, threat modeling, CTF/security background, crypto familiarity, hardening experience
• Applied math background: linear algebra, optimization, estimation, controls, simulation, numerical methods, etc
• Basic API/web literacy: REST, gRPC, protobuf, frontend/backend concepts, databases, etc

ITAR

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.