Staff Engineer, Software - Autonomous Aircraft Integration (No C2C) (Washington)

Flight Integration Engineer – Autonomy

Duration: 6–12 months (opportunity available for extension and/or conversion)

Position Summary

The Flight Integration Engineer is responsible for deploying advanced autonomy solutions onto unmanned platforms and ensuring those systems perform reliably in real-world flight environments.

This role sits at the intersection of hardware, software, autonomy, and systems engineering , bridging the gap between R&D and operational deployment. The engineer will integrate autonomy software with onboard compute, sensors, avionics, and control systems; prepare platforms for flight; support live testing; and troubleshoot mission-critical issues in both laboratory and field environments.

This is a highly hands-on position suited for an engineer who enjoys complex system integration, rapid problem-solving, and working directly with unmanned aircraft.

Key Responsibilities

• Autonomy System Integration: Integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, ensuring reliable operation across onboard compute, sensors, control interfaces, and supporting hardware.
• Flight System Preparation: Own system build, configuration, integration, and validation activities required to prepare platforms for flight.
• Hardware/Software Integration: Ensure compatibility between autonomy software, embedded hardware, sensors, avionics, and other platform systems.
• Flight Test Support: Travel to test locations and support live flight operations, including system bring-up, safety checks, mission preparation, and real-time troubleshooting.
• System Troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve complex hardware, software, networking, embedded-system, and autonomy-stack integration issues in laboratory and field environments.
• Flight Data & Analysis: Manage mission data collection and post-flight analysis, partnering with autonomy engineers to identify performance issues and improve system behavior.
• Cross-Functional Engineering: Collaborate with autonomy, Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC), systems engineering, hardware, and test teams to deliver and validate mission-critical capabilities.
• Integration Tools & Automation: Develop tools, automation, and processes that improve system testing, deployment timelines, data collection, and flight-test reliability.
• Certification & Compliance: Support documentation and system-level validation activities related to airworthiness, certification, and defense requirements.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve integration processes, system reliability, and overall deployment efficiency.

Required Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent practical experience may also be considered.
• Typically 7+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree, 5+ years with a Master’s degree, or 4+ years with a PhD , or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong programming skills in C++ and Python .
• Familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS) .
• Strong experience working in Linux-based development environments .
• Experience with embedded systems, shell scripting, and system diagnostics.
• Knowledge of sensor integration and sensor fusion .
• Experience with middleware frameworks such as ROS and/or DDS .
• Hands-on experience supporting flight demonstrations or live exercises .
• Experience with simulation and validation environments such as AFSIM and/or NGTS .
• Strong systems-level troubleshooting and performance optimization skills.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills with the ability to operate effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to obtain a U.S. Secret security clearance .

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or similar flight-test programs.
• Familiarity with autonomy stacks, flight-control systems, and/or GNC pipelines .
• Experience with sensor integration, electronics troubleshooting, avionics integration, or system bring-up.
• Experience developing automation tools for system testing, logging, diagnostics, and data parsing.
• Experience working directly with DoD customers or stakeholders during field events, demonstrations, or technical reviews.
• Experience with UCI and OMS standards .

Travel

Approximately 30–40% travel is expected to support customer sites, flight-test locations, other company facilities, and integration events.