Systems Software Engineer, Generalist

NightDragon Acquisition Corp.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental and Vision Insurance

Generous PTO and Holidays

Paid Parental Leave

Competitive Salary

401(k) Plan

Stock Options

Life and Disability Insurance

Free lunch benefit

Unlimited drinks and snacks

Job summary

NightDragon Acquisition Corp. seeks experienced Systems Software Engineers to develop software for autonomous maritime systems. This exciting role emphasizes collaboration across software, hardware, and robotics, requiring candidates to work on low-level hardware interfaces to mission-critical applications.

Ideal candidates will possess strong software engineering fundamentals, with experience in real-world hardware interactions. The position offers competitive salaries, robust health insurance, and generous time off.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency in one or more programming languages listed.
• Experience developing software for systems that interact with physical hardware.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain software for autonomous vehicle systems.
• Collaborate closely with various engineering teams.
• Support testing, validation, and troubleshooting of software.

Skills

C++

Python

Rust

Go

Linux-based development

Tools

Embedded Systems

Cloud Infrastructure

Job description

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

About the Role

We are seeking experienced Systems Software Engineers to develop software that powers autonomous maritime systems. This role sits at the intersection of software, hardware, robotics, and distributed systems, requiring engineers who are comfortable working across the full stack of autonomous vehicle development—from low-level hardware interfaces and embedded systems to backend services, infrastructure, and mission-critical applications.

The ideal candidate brings strong software engineering fundamentals and has experience developing systems that interact with real-world hardware, robotics platforms, autonomous systems, or other complex cyber-physical environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain software for autonomous vehicle systems and supporting infrastructure.
• Build reliable, scalable, and maintainable software solutions across embedded, systems, and application layers.
• Develop software that interfaces with sensors, actuators, networking equipment, and onboard compute systems.
• Collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, autonomy, perception, and field engineering teams.
• Optimize software performance, reliability, observability, and fault tolerance in mission-critical environments.
• Design and implement distributed services, communication frameworks, and data pipelines supporting autonomous operations.
• Participate in architecture discussions and technical decision-making across software and systems domains.
• Support testing, validation, deployment, and troubleshooting of software in both laboratory and field environments.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering processes, tooling, and development practices.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency in one or more of:
  • C++
  • Python
  • Rust
  • Go
• Experience developing software for systems that interact with physical hardware.
• Strong understanding of Linux-based development environments.
• Experience with software architecture, debugging, testing, and performance optimization.
• Experience working on complex distributed, real-time, embedded, robotics, autonomy, aerospace, defense, maritime, automotive, industrial automation, or similar systems.
• Ability to operate effectively in cross-functional engineering environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with embedded Linux, RTOS, device drivers, or hardware communication protocols.
• Experience with robotics, autonomous systems, UAVs, UGVs, USVs, or maritime platforms.
• Experience with networking, distributed systems, middleware, or communication frameworks.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure, backend services, and deployment pipelines.
• Familiarity with ROS/ROS2 or similar robotics frameworks.
• Experience integrating software with sensors, controls, or electromechanical systems.
• Experience supporting field testing and operational deployments.
• Exposure to defense, aerospace, maritime, or other mission-critical environments.

What We're Looking For

Successful candidates may come from a variety of backgrounds, including:

• Systems Software Engineering
• Robotics Engineering
• Autonomous Systems Engineering
• Embedded Software Engineering
• Platform Engineering
• Infrastructure Engineering
• Backend Software Engineering
• Aerospace or Defense Software Development

The common thread is a demonstrated ability to build software that interacts with and enables complex hardware systems in real-world environments.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services
• Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care
• Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents
• Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays
• Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents
• Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan
• Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success
• Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage
• Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasional standing and walking within the office.
• Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment.
• Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports.
• Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies.
• Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages).

If this role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.