Software Engineering Manager – Embedded Software
Zone 5 Technologies
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Qualifications
- Minimum 7 years of software engineering experience.
- At least 3 years in a leadership or team-lead role.
- Strong background in aerospace software development.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage a team developing embedded software for UAVs.
- Ensure compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.
- Coordinate project scope and manage development schedules.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
San Luis Obispo, California
At Zone 5 Technologies, we're redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems. Our team of engineers and innovators is developing cutting‑edge autonomous solutions that push the boundaries of UAS technology – solving complex challenges that matter.
We're building the future of UAS capabilities, and we're looking for exceptional talent to join us. If you're driven by hard problems, energized by rapid innovation, and ready to make an impact on next‑generation flight systems, you belong here.
We're looking for a people‑first Software Engineering Manager to oversee the development, integration, and maintenance of software systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This role involves leading a team of software engineers, collaborating with cross‑functional teams (hardware, systems, and flight operations), and ensuring that all software complies with safety, performance, and regulatory requirements. The candidate will be responsible for the entire software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering through design, implementation, and validation.
Software Engineering Manager – Embedded Software (UAV Systems)
Responsibilities
- Team Leadership & Management: Build, mentor, and manage a high‑performing software engineering team developing mission‑critical embedded software for UAV flight control, communications, mission planning, and data processing.
- Technical Direction & Architecture Oversight: Provide technical leadership and architectural guidance for embedded software systems, ensuring scalability, safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance.
- Project & Execution Coordination: Coordinate with product and program managers to define project scope, allocate resources, set priorities, and manage software development schedules for flight control, mission management, and payload software programs.
- Systems Integration & Delivery: Collaborate with cross‑functional engineering groups to ensure seamless integration of software with hardware, sensors, communication systems, and ground control systems.
- Quality Assurance & Safety: Oversee verification and validation activities, including unit testing, simulation, hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HITL), and flight testing to ensure performance, robustness, and safety of delivered software.
- Compliance & Certification Leadership: Ensure development follows certification frameworks and safety standards such as DO‑178C, ARP4754, and other UAV regulatory requirements.
- Innovation & Technology Strategy: Evaluate emerging technologies and drive adoption into product roadmaps, supporting advancement in autonomy, communications, and mission capabilities.
- Process Improvement: Help refine development best practices, coding standards, test methodologies, and documentation processes to support scalability and efficiency.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Align software engineering goals with product, business, and operational requirements by coordinating closely with program and product management, systems engineering, hardware engineering, and flight operations teams.
- Documentation Oversight: Ensure creation and maintenance of high‑quality documentation including design artifacts, test plans, certification documentation, and user manuals.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
- Minimum of 7+ years of software engineering experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership, management, or team‑lead role.
- Strong background in embedded or aerospace software development, with experience in UAV systems strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with programming languages and modeling tools used in embedded and control systems (e.g., C, C++, C#, Python, MATLAB, Simulink).
- Understanding of real‑time operating systems (RTOS), flight control systems, and communication protocols (e.g., STANAG‑4586, ARINC‑825, MAVLink).
- Experience with network protocols (UDP, TCP, DNS, DHCP) and working with networked embedded devices.
- Knowledge of software development lifecycle tools and workflow systems (Git, GitHub, JIRA, CI/CD).
- Demonstrated ability to lead diverse technical teams, communicate effectively, and drive results in a fast‑paced engineering environment.
- Familiarity with safety‑critical systems and certification standards such as DO‑178C and ARP4754.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with autonomy‑enabling technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, or advanced sensor fusion.
- Knowledge of satellite or long‑range communication technologies relevant to UAV platforms.
- Prior involvement in scaling engineering teams or multi‑program software organizations.
Pay range for this role
$200,000 – $220,000 USD
What's in it for you
- Comprehensive benefit package options include medical, dental, vision, life, and more.
- 401k with company‑match.
- 4 weeks of paid time off each year.
- 12 annual company holidays.
Why Join Zone 5 Technologies
- Innovative Environment: Work on cutting‑edge technology that is shaping the future of defense and aerospace.
- Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
- Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
Note about our Texas roles: we are in the process of opening a location on the mid‑west side of the DFW metro region. Roles in Texas will initially work remotely and then be expected to be onsite when that location opens in 2026.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
Zone 5 Technologies is a federal contractor and participates in E‑Verify to confirm employment eligibility. As required by law, we will verify the identity and employment authorization of all new employees using the E‑Verify system. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities under E‑Verify: https://www.e‑verify.gov.
As set forth in Zone 5 Technologies’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.
We operate with an on‑site work model at our San Luis Obispo, CA office. This setup fosters a culture of collaboration, ownership, and rapid development. Are you available to collaborate onsite in our office San Luis Obispo, CA.
We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress toward this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.
Veteran Classification
- Disabled veteran: 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.
- Recently separated veteran: 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.
- Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran: 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.
- Armed forces service medal veteran: 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.
Disability Categories
- Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
- Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
- Blind or low vision
- Cancer (past or present)
- Cardiovascular or heart disease
- Celiac disease
- Cerebral palsy
- Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
- Diabetes
- Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
- Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
- Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
- Intellectual or developmental disability
- Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
- Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
- Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
- Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Neurodivergence, for example, attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
- Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
- Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
- Short stature (dwarfism)
- Traumatic brain injury
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