Software Engineer - Payload Integrations

Anduril-1; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Software Engineer for Payload Integrations to design, build, and maintain software that enables new sensors and mission payloads on autonomous vehicles. You will collaborate with hardware, electrical, autonomy, and systems teams, as well as external payload vendors, to deliver dependable software components.

You will work in a fast-paced, high-autonomy environment, turning hardware into robust software with a strong emphasis on testing, verification, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in CS/CE/EE or related field.
• 3+ years of professional software development experience, focusing on embedded systems, robotics, or hardware integration.
• Strong experience with Rust and/or C++, plus working proficiency in Python.
• Hands-on experience integrating hardware over common interfaces and protocols (UART/RS-422, CAN, Ethernet/UDP, SPI/I2C).
• Experience reading datasheets and ICDs and turning them into robust software implementations.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement software integrations for payloads on autonomous vehicles.
• Define and maintain clean interfaces between payloads and vehicle software stack.
• Work with vendors to bring up hardware and develop device drivers and protocol handlers.
• Build HIL/SITL test infrastructure to evaluate payload behavior.
• Support integration events, ground tests, and flight tests across software, firmware, and hardware boundaries.
• Collaborate with program teams to scope and deliver payload integrations on tight timelines.
• Contribute to safety-critical software behind arming and weapons-related payloads with high rigor.

Skills

Rust

C++

Python

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent

Tools

UART/RS-422

CAN

Ethernet/UDP

SPI/I2C

Job description

Software Engineer - Payload Integrations

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Payload Integrations team owns everything that connects to the vehicle beyond the base platform. This includes gimbals and EO/IR sensors, arming and fuzing devices, weapons payloads, radios, and other mission hardware. We build the software and interfaces that enable these payloads to reliably run on the vehicle. Nearly every customer program needs a new or modified payload, which makes this team a critical contributor to nearly everything we ship. Our work goes from the lab bench to hardware-in-the-loop testing to live flight, and it has to work in a variety of demanding operational environments.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are looking for a Software Engineer to join the Payload Integrations team. You will design, build, and maintain the software that brings new sensors, communications systems, and mission payloads onto our autonomous vehicles. You will work closely with hardware, electrical, autonomy, and systems engineering teams, as well as outside payload vendors, to turn new hardware into dependable, well-tested components of the vehicle. If you are self-motivated, hold yourself to high standards, enjoy working where software meets hardware, and do well in a fast-paced, high-autonomy environment, this role is for you.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Design and implement software integrations for gimbals, EO/IR sensors, radios, arming and fuzing devices, and other mission payloads on autonomous vehicles.
• Define and maintain clean, reusable interfaces between payloads and the vehicle software stack, to enable new payloads without changes to autonomy code.
• Work through vendor interface control documents (ICDs), implement device drivers and protocol handlers, and lead hardware bring-up in the lab.
• Build simulation, emulation, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test infrastructure to evaluate payload behavior before flight.
• Support integration events, ground tests, and flight tests, and root-cause issues across software, firmware, and hardware boundaries.
• Partner with program teams to scope, estimate, and deliver payload integrations for customer projects on tight timelines.
• Contribute to the safety-critical software behind arming and weapons-related payloads, with a high bar for rigor, review, and testing.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of professional software development experience, with a focus on embedded systems, robotics, or hardware integration.
• Strong experience with Rust and/or C++, plus working proficiency in Python.
• Hands‑on experience integrating hardware over common interfaces and protocols (e.g., UART/RS-422, CAN, Ethernet/UDP, SPI/I2C).
• Experience reading datasheets and ICDs and turning them into robust software implementations.
• Comfort debugging at the hardware/software boundary using lab equipment and bus/packet analysis.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, including working with external vendors and cross‑functional engineering teams.
• US Persons: Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export‑controlled information or facilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience integrating gimbals, cameras, EO/IR sensors, or tactical radios and datalinks.
• Familiarity with safety‑critical or arming/fuzing systems and related development practices.
• Experience with UAS, missiles, or other aerospace/defense platforms.
• Experience building HIL/SITL test environments or hardware emulators.
• Familiarity with middleware and serialization frameworks (e.g., Protobuf, gRPC, DDS, MAVLink).
• Experience with embedded Linux, real‑time systems, or resource‑constrained environments.
• Background supporting field integration and flight test campaigns.
• Active U.S. security clearance, or the ability to obtain one.

US Salary Range

$167,000 - $222,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top‑tier benefits for full‑time employees, including: At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits .

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Anduril Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.