Software Engineer

Cantos Ventures; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Heaviside Industries in Los Angeles builds multi-domain autonomous precision munitions for U.S. and allied forces, focusing on GPS-denied environments and real-time systems.

Join a small, fast-moving engineering team working across hardware and software to bring prototypes to production, with opportunities in embedded software, sensor interfaces, and automated test infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Strong C/C++ skills with Python for tooling
• Experience with embedded Linux or RTOS and cross-compilation
• Familiar with interfaces like UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet
• Experience integrating sensors, radios, actuators, or other hardware
• Experience with Git and code reviews
• Ability to thrive in a small, fast-moving team
• Bonus: Nix/NixOS for reproducible environments
• Bonus: oscilloscope/logic analyzer/JTAG/SWD tooling
• Bonus: autonomy, robotics, ROS or related simulation/testing
• Bonus: SDK/library development

Responsibilities

• Write robust C, C++, and Python for real-time, resource-constrained systems on Linux/RTOS
• Collaborate with hardware and systems engineers to move capabilities from prototype to production
• Design and maintain software for embedded systems, mission software, and ground tools
• Build interfaces to sensors, radios, actuators, cameras; validate on bench and in field
• Develop simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, and automated test infrastructure
• Support integration campaigns and field tests, debugging live hardware
• Contribute to engineering practices like code reviews, CI, and documentation

Skills

C/C++

Python

Embedded Linux

RTOS

Cross-compilation

Sensor/Actuator integration

Git

CI/CD

Debugging hardware

ROS/Autonomy

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Job description

ABOUT HEAVISIDE INDUSTRIES

Heaviside Industries builds multi-domain autonomous precision munitions for U.S. and allied special operations and conventional forces. While modern warfare has rapidly evolved with the proliferation of unmanned systems, hyper-precise munitions in contested environments are the future of the battlefield. Economical precision strike capabilities are critical to U.S. and allied war efforts, enabling successful defeat of enemy military assets and infrastructure. Heaviside builds precision munitions designed to operate in GPS-denied and spectrum-jammed battlefields—where traditional systems degrade or fail—without inflated prices or sacrifice to performance.

All engineering and manufacturing is conducted in-house in Heaviside's Los Angeles, CA headquarters and Oslo, Norway office.

Heaviside is backed by Felicis, Hedosophia, Interlagos, Friends & Family Capital, Menlo Ventures, Flume Ventures, Cantos, and others.

WHAT WILL YOU DO

• Write robust C, C++, and Python for resource-constrained, real-time environments on Linux and RTOS targets.
• Work directly with electrical, mechanical, RF, and systems engineers to take new capabilities from prototype to production.
• Design, implement, and maintain software for autonomous systems, including embedded software, mission software, and supporting ground tools.
• Build and own software interfaces to sensors, radios, actuators, cameras, and other hardware; validate them on the bench and in the field.
• Develop simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, and automated test infrastructure that lets the team iterate quickly with confidence.
• Support integration campaigns and field-test events, including debugging on live hardware and turning findings into fixes.
• Contribute to engineering practices that keep a small team fast: code review, CI, and pragmatic documentation.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Strong proficiency in C and C++, with practical Python experience for tooling, automation, or system integration.
• Hands-on experience with embedded Linux and/or real-time operating systems, cross-compilation, and debugging at the hardware/software boundary.
• Knowledge of common hardware interfaces such as UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, and Ethernet, along with network programming fundamentals.
• Experience integrating sensors, radios, actuators, or other hardware into a production or field-tested system.
• Experience with Git, code review, and collaborative software-development workflows.
• Comfort operating with ambiguity in a small, fast-moving team.
• [BONUS] Nix or NixOS experience, particularly reproducible development or deployment environments.
• [BONUS] Ability to use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD debuggers, and serial-console tooling.
• [BONUS] Experience with autonomy, robotics, controls, estimation, navigation, signal processing, communications software or ROS.
• [BONUS] Experience with simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, automated test infrastructure, or hardware bring-up.
• [BONUS] Experience developing SDKs, libraries, or interfaces used by other engineering teams.
• U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.62)

Additional:

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Heaviside is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Heaviside 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, physical disability or any other legally protected status.