Video Systems Engineer

Powerus; Rock Hill (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Powerus in the United States is seeking a Video Systems Engineer to develop video capture, encoding, transmission, and decoding for autonomous aerial systems, focusing on latency reduction and robust performance.

You will work on Linux, with GStreamer/FFmpeg, C/C++, and MISB/KLV metadata, collaborating with RF and Embedded teams to deliver reliable ground-control visuals.

Qualifications

• Must be located in the United States, within commuting distance of Rock Hill, SC
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science, or equivalent practical experience
• Experience developing video encoding or streaming systems
• Working knowledge of H.264 and H.265
• Experience with GStreamer, FFmpeg, or hardware encoder APIs
• Proficiency in C or C++
• U.S. Person status required (ITAR/EAR-controlled data)

Responsibilities

• Develop video capture and encoding pipelines on embedded hardware
• Configure and tune H.264 and H.265 encoders for latency and quality
• Develop video receive and display pipelines for ground control software
• Measure end-to-end latency, quality, and robustness to packet loss
• Integrate video metadata such as KLV and MISB standards
• Support flight test and resolve video issues

Skills

C/C++

Video encoding

H.264/H.265

Education

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

Tools

GStreamer

FFmpeg

Hardware encoder APIs

Job description

Powerus is building a next-generation American autonomous systems platform designed to move, protect, and sustain critical assets in high-consequence environments. The company combines advanced autonomy, manufacturing capability, operational expertise, and strategic acquisitions to support defense, national security, critical infrastructure, and commercial operations globally.

Mission

Our mission is to deliver resilient autonomous technologies that strengthen national security, improve operational safety, and expand the capabilities of organizations operating in complex environments.

Why Join Powerus

Powerus aircraft send live video to operators over bandwidth-limited and contested datalinks. Latency and image quality determine what an operator can do with the aircraft.

This role owns the video pipeline from camera frame to operator display: capture, encoding, transmission, and decoding. It runs on the Linux platform maintained by the Embedded Linux team and over datalinks designed by RF engineering.

Position Overview

Powerus is seeking a Video Systems Engineer to develop video capture, encoding, transmission, and decoding for autonomous aerial systems, including codec configuration, latency reduction, and rate adaptation to link conditions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop video capture and encoding pipelines on embedded hardware
• Configure and tune H.264 and H.265 encoders for latency and quality
• Develop video receive and display pipelines for ground control software
• Measure end-to-end latency, quality, and robustness to packet loss
• Integrate video metadata such as KLV and MISB standards
• Support flight test and resolve video issues

Qualifications

• Must be located in the United States, within commuting distance of Rock Hill, SC
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science, or equivalent practical experience
• Experience developing video encoding or streaming systems
• Working knowledge of H.264 and H.265
• Experience with GStreamer, FFmpeg, or hardware encoder APIs
• Proficiency in C or C++
• U.S. Person status required (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)); this role involves access to ITAR- and EAR-controlled technical data

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with low-latency video over RF links
• Experience with MISB and KLV metadata
• Experience with NVIDIA or Qualcomm hardware encoders
• Experience with RTP, RTSP, or SRT

What We Look For

Candidates should have reduced end-to-end video latency on an embedded system and be able to show the measurements and the changes that produced the result.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Powerus is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and mission-driven workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.