Staff Engineer, Software, GCS - C++ (R5189)

The available sources do not contain information about the company name for rounx.com.; Boston, Dallas, Washington, San Diego (MA, TX, District of Columbia, CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is hiring for a senior GCS/C2 software engineer to design, develop, and optimize high‑performance Ground Control Station systems. You will work across C++, Qt/QML, and QGroundControl to deliver map‑centric mission planning, real‑time command and control, and telemetry visualization.

Collaboration across Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and flight operations is essential, with a focus on reliability and user experience.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically requires 7+ years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 6 years with a Master; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent.
• Strong proficiency in C++, including multi-threaded, latency-sensitive desktop apps.
• Experience with Qt/QML for responsive UIs.
• Hands-on experience with QGroundControl or equivalent ground-station software.
• Experience full-stack or backend in C/C++, Python, TS, or Go with service orchestration and data pipelines.
• Familiarity with UDP/TCP, serialization/IDL tooling, and distributed systems.
• Experience with GIS/map rendering engines and 2D/3D spatial viz.
• Clearance: SECRET or higher required.

Responsibilities

• Develop, field, and optimize high-performance Ground Control Station and C2 software.
• Lead UI/UX design for map-centric mission planning and real-time control.
• Collaborate with Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and flight ops teams; define APIs and interfaces.
• Mentor engineers and drive on-boarding and growth.
• Drive design reviews, testing, and robust documentation.
• Own build, configuration, and validation for mission-ready GCS deployments.
• Support field operations and troubleshoot live C2 interfaces under time-critical constraints.
• Ensure compliance with C2 standards and interoperability (MAVLink, STANAG, A-GRA, UCI, OMS).

Skills

C++

Qt/QML

QGroundControl

Full-stack C/C++

Python

Go

GIS map rendering

C2/OSINT protocols

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Mapbox/Cesium/Esri

GStreamer

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

The Ground Control Station (GCS) and Command & Control (C2) Software team builds the mission planning, command & control, and post-mission debrief systems that enable operators to seamlessly manage complex, multi-domain unmanned missions. We combine deep desktop application development, modern map-centric interfaces, robust backend integrations, and platform-specific control protocols to deliver a world-class operator experience across air, maritime, space, and effects/expendables. In this role, you will focus on building Ground Control Station software, advanced mission planners, post-mission debrief utilities, and general C2 interfaces. You will work across C++, Qt/QML, QGroundControl (QGC), and full-stack technologies to translate autonomous platform capabilities into intuitive, low-latency, and highly reliable control systems.

• Develop & Field GCS/C2 Software — Design, develop, and optimize high-performance, responsive GCS software and C2 applications, focusing on map-centric mission planning, real-time command & control, video streaming, and telemetry visualization. Customize and extend QGroundControl (QGC) or related Qt/C++ frameworks to support custom vehicle protocols and multi-agent operations.
• Technical Leadership — Own technical direction for major GCS features and systems; architect UI/UX layouts, design robust client/server interfaces, and lead technical decision-making within your project area.
• Collaboration Across Teams — Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team, Perception team, flight operations, and external partners (platform integrators, C2 providers, and vehicle vendors); author and negotiate APIs, ICDs, and interface contracts rather than just consume them.
• Mentorship & Growth — Mentor mid-level engineers on the team; partner with managers on onboarding, leveling, and growth planning. Formally onboard senior new hires.
• Design, UX, & Documentation — Drive design reviews, UI/UX prototyping, and ICD definition; champion rigorous coding standards, unit/integration testing, and developer/operator documentation to close process gaps that span teams.
• Pre-deployment Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission-ready ground stations; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, UI/UX readiness, and release cadence with capability and feature teams.
• On-site Test & Mission Support — Travel to test sites and support live mission operations (flight tests, range exercises, on-water trials, integration events), working closely with operators and pilots to gather feedback, debug live C2 systems, and troubleshoot interfaces under time-critical field constraints.
• Hardware/Software Debugging — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex GCS/C2 stacks, radio links, payload controls, and telemetry streams — including UI responsiveness bottlenecks, memory leaks, and network latency profiling under operationally-representative loads.
• Mission Data & Debrief Support — Architect and implement post-mission debrief utilities and telemetry analysis tools that parse, play back, and visualize telemetry, logs, and payload data for rapid post-mission analysis and issue reproduction.
• Continuous Improvement — Build tools and automation scripts to improve C2 deployment pipelines, test/mission reliability, and simulation-based operator testing.
• C2 Interoperability & Standards — Own compliance and integration with command-and-control standards and architectures (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, MAVLink).
• Hiring — Interview candidates, help define the skills bar for open roles in your area, and onboard new engineers into your sub-program.
• Travel Requirement — Members of this team typically travel around 10-20% of the year (to support field integration, customer demonstrations, or test events).

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
• Strong proficiency in C++, with experience developing complex, multi-threaded, or latency-sensitive desktop applications.
• Experience building responsive user interfaces using Qt/QML (or similar modern UI frameworks).
• Hands-on experience customizing, extending, or building with QGroundControl (QGC) or similar open-source/proprietary ground station software.
• Experience full-stack or building backend in C/C++, Python, TypeScript, or Go, including service orchestration, command/status interfaces, and data pipelines between UI, ground services, and vehicle-side components.
• Deep familiarity with networked and distributed systems, including UDP/TCP transport, custom binary protocols, reliable messaging, pub-sub/IPC middleware, and serialization/IDL tooling.
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools to accelerate software design, implementation, debugging, testing, and code review while maintaining strong engineering judgment, validation discipline, and ownership of final technical decisions.
• Demonstrated experience owning a major software capability or system from architecture through field delivery.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and growing technical talent.
• Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts, schemas, or ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.
• Strong debugging and profiling skills, including diagnosing memory leaks, UI responsiveness bottlenecks, and network latency issues.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), map rendering engines (e.g., Mapbox, Cesium, Esri, QGC Map Engine), and 2D/3D spatial data visualization.
• Familiarity with video streaming protocols and multimedia frameworks (e.g., RTSP, WebRTC, GStreamer, H.264/H.265 video codecs).
• Experience developing post-mission telemetry analysis, log parsing, or interactive playback/debrief systems.
• Familiarity with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and deploying C2 services to local, edge, or cloud environments.
• Experience with platform control / autopilot protocols (e.g., MAVLink, STANAG 4586) or DoD C2 standards (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS).
• Experience working closely with flight operators, pilots, or military stakeholders to gather feedback and refine user workflows.
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.