Staff Engineer, Software - Autonomous Aircraft Integration

Yoh Services LLC; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 186,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401K Retirement Savings Plan

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Yoh is seeking a Staff Software Engineer – Autonomous Aircraft Integration to join our advanced autonomous technology client on a contract basis. The role centers on bringing autonomous capabilities into operational aircraft, integrating software with onboard computing, sensors, and avionics, and supporting both lab and live flight-test activities.

The position is onsite in San Diego, CA (with additional locations in Washington, DC and Boston, MA).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in CS/EE/ME/AE or related field.
• Typically 7+ years with a bachelor's degree, 5+ years with a master's degree.
• Strong programming in C++ and Python.
• Hands-on experience developing, integrating, or troubleshooting embedded and real‑time systems.
• Strong working knowledge of Linux, including command-line tools, shell scripting, diagnostics.
• Understanding of sensor integration and ROS or DDS middleware.
• Experience supporting live demonstrations or flight tests.
• Willingness to travel ~30–40%.

Responsibilities

• Lead integration and deployment of autonomous software onto unmanned aircraft and flight platforms.
• Integrate software with onboard computing, sensors, avionics, communications, and vehicle interfaces.
• Configure, build, and validate integrated systems for flight testing and demonstrations.
• Provide hands-on support during flight-test events, including system startup and troubleshooting.
• Diagnose hardware/software integration problems across embedded computing and autonomy environments.
• Support analysis of flight-test data to identify issues and improvements.
• Collaborate across software, autonomy, control, and test teams throughout integration.
• Develop scripts and processes to improve testing, deployment, and diagnostics.
• Contribute to system verification, documentation, and certification activities.

Skills

C++

Python

Embedded systems

Real-time systems

Linux

ROS or DDS

Travel 30-40%

Education

Bachelor's or advanced degree in CS/EE/ME/AE

Tools

Onboard computing

Sensor integration

Job description

Yoh has an exciting, contract opportunity for a Staff Software Engineer – Autonomous Aircraft Integration to join our advanced autonomous technology client. This position is ideal for a senior engineer who enjoys working at the intersection of software, embedded hardware, and aircraft systems and is comfortable supporting both laboratory integration and live flight-test activities.

The engineer will play a key role in bringing autonomous capabilities from development into operational aircraft environments, including integrating software with onboard computing, sensors, avionics, and vehicle interfaces. This is a hands‑on position that requires strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to support systems in fast‑paced field and flight-test environments. See below for abbreviated job responsibilities and requirements.

Title: Staff Software Engineer – Autonomous Aircraft Integration

Location: Washington, DC; Boston, MA; or San Diego, CA (Onsite)

Type: Contract

Compensation: $95.00–$135.00/hour, depending on experience

Clearance: Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance. Clearance eligibility requirements may include U.S. citizenship.

Responsibilities

• Lead integration and deployment of autonomous software capabilities onto unmanned aircraft and related flight platforms.
• Integrate software with onboard computing, sensors, avionics, communications, and vehicle control interfaces.
• Configure, build, and validate integrated systems in preparation for flight testing and operational demonstrations.
• Provide hands‑on technical support during flight‑test events, including system startup, readiness verification, troubleshooting, and issue resolution.
• Diagnose complex hardware/software integration problems across embedded computing and autonomy environments.
• Support collection, processing, and evaluation of flight‑test data to identify system issues and opportunities for performance improvements.
• Partner with software, autonomy, guidance/navigation/control, systems engineering, and test teams throughout integration and validation activities.
• Develop scripts, utilities, and processes that improve system testing, deployment, diagnostics, logging, and integration efficiency.
• Contribute to system verification, technical documentation, airworthiness, certification, and other applicable compliance activities.
• Travel to company, customer, and flight‑test locations as required to support integration and operational events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline; equivalent relevant experience may also be considered.
• Typically 7+ years of relevant professional experience with a bachelor's degree, 5+ years with a master's degree, or comparable advanced education and experience.
• Strong programming experience with C++ and Python.
• Hands‑on experience developing, integrating, or troubleshooting embedded and real‑time systems.
• Strong working knowledge of Linux, including command‑line tools, shell scripting, system configuration, and diagnostics.
• Understanding of sensor integration, sensor fusion, and distributed or robotics middleware technologies such as ROS or DDS.
• Experience supporting live system demonstrations, flight tests, field exercises, or other real‑world integration events.
• Familiarity with modeling and simulation environments used to test or validate complex aerospace or defense systems.
• Strong systems‑level troubleshooting skills across software and hardware interfaces.
• Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering and test organizations.
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 30–40%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience integrating or testing unmanned aerial systems (UAS/UAVs) or other autonomous vehicles.
• Experience with autonomy architectures, flight‑control software, avionics, or guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems.
• Hands‑on knowledge of electronics, sensor interfaces, avionics integration, or aircraft system bring‑up.
• Experience building automation for testing, system health monitoring, data logging, or post‑test analysis.
• Previous experience supporting Department of Defense customers, demonstrations, or technical reviews.
• Familiarity with UCI and OMS standards or similar defense system integration frameworks.
• Experience with aerospace simulation and validation tools such as AFSIM, NGTS, or comparable platforms.

Estimated Min Rate: $87.50

Estimated Max Rate: $125.00

Benefits include:

• Medical, Prescription, Dental & Vision Benefits (for employees working 20+ hours per week)
• Health Savings Account (HSA) (for employees working 20+ hours per week)
• Life & Disability Insurance (for employees working 20+ hours per week)
• MetLife Voluntary Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401K Retirement Savings Plan
• Direct Deposit & weekly epayroll
• Referral Bonus Programs
• Certification and training opportunities

Note: Any pay ranges displayed are estimations. Actual pay is determined by an applicant's experience, technical expertise, and other qualifications as listed in the job description. All qualified applicants are welcome to apply.

Yoh, a Day & Zimmermann company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Visit https://www.yoh.com/applicants-with-disabilities to contact us if you are an individual with a disability and require accommodation in the application process.

For California applicants, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. All of the material job duties described in this posting are job duties for which a criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.