Senior PX4 Developer

Rainmaker; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Rainmaker is seeking a seasoned software engineer to advance drone autonomy in El Segundo, CA. You will work on the drone autonomy software stack and modify PX4 firmware for unique use cases, developing embedded firmware for power, peripherals, and sensing.

You will support Gazebo-based simulations and real flight tests, including log analysis and debugging. A minimum of 3+ years with PX4/ArduPilot and Rust, C++, or Python is required.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience developing software for PX4/ArduPilot systems.
• Experience shipping production code in Rust, plus C++ or Python.
• Experience developing firmware for ESP32, RP2040, or similar embedded targets.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to our drone autonomy software stack end-to-end as a domain expert.
• Modify and extend PX4 firmware for custom use cases and flight behaviors.
• Develop firmware for embedded systems across power, peripherals, and sensing; support simulation-based testing in Gazebo, HITL, and SITL environments.
• Assist with flight test support, log analysis, and software debugging.

Skills

PX4/ArduPilot

Rust

C++

Python

Embedded firmware

MAVLink

Real-time pub/sub

CAN

UART

I2C

SPI

Gazebo

Tools

ESP32

RP2040

Zenoh

DDS

ROS 2

MQTT

Job description

Rainmaker builds systems to make it rain. Our autonomous drone fleets and weather modification platform operate worldwide: expanding freshwater supplies, protecting agriculture, and proving that cloud seeding works at scale.

You are:

• A seasoned software engineer with a background in drone autonomy
• Fast, thoughtful, autonomous, and opinionated
• Willing to relocate to El Segundo, California

What you’ll work on:

• Contribute to our drone autonomy software stack end-to-end as a domain expert
• Modify and extend PX4 firmware for custom use cases and flight behaviors
• Develop firmware for embedded systems across power, peripherals, and sensingSupport simulation-based testing in Gazebo, HITL, and SITL environments
• Assist with flight test support, log analysis, and software debugging

What we’re looking for:

• 3+ years of professional experience developing software for PX4/ArduPilot systems
• Experience shipping production code in Rust, plus C++ or Python
• Experience developing firmware for ESP32, RP2040, or similar embedded targets
• Comfort with low-level peripheral buses: CAN, UART, I2C, SPI
• Experience with real-time pub/sub middleware (Zenoh, DDS, ROS 2, MQTT, or similar)
• Working knowledge of MAVLink and typical autopilot integration patterns

Rainmaker is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Rainmaker is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Rainmaker participates in E-Verify. To learn more, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.gov.

150000 - 200000 USD a year