Lead Software Engineer – Secure Mission Computing (m/f/d)

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Lead Software Engineer to design, develop, integrate, and productize secure mission-computing software for advanced autonomous and unmanned platforms.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role spanning robotics, autonomy, embedded Linux, mission computing, flight-controller integration, AI/ML acceleration, cybersecurity, and DevOps. You will lead the development of scalable software running across NVIDIA and Qualcomm-based compute platforms, integrating these systems with flight controllers, sensors, Ground Control Stations, and other mission-critical components.

The role requires strong experience taking complex autonomous systems from architecture and platform bring-up through integration, validation, deployment, and production.

Key Responsibilities

Autonomy Software Development

• Develop and integrate robotics and autonomy applications on NVIDIA and Qualcomm-based mission-computing platforms.
• Build ROS2-based nodes, services, middleware, and modular autonomy components.
• Integrate capabilities supporting perception, planning, navigation, sensor fusion, and decision-making.
• Optimize GPU, DSP, NPU, and AI accelerator workloads for real-time inference and resource-constrained environments.
• Support integration between mission computers and PX4-based flight-control platforms.

System Integration & Middleware

• Design and implement secure application-level communication using technologies such as NATS, ACLs, DDS/XRCE-DDS, MAVLink, and UDP.
• Implement authentication, encryption, telemetry, command-and-control, and secure message exchange between autonomous platforms and Ground Control Stations.
• Develop APIs and middleware for reliable data exchange across mission-critical systems.
• Integrate multiple sensor types including cameras, LiDAR, GNSS, and IMUs using ROS2.
• Support integration with flight controllers, FPGA-based components, embedded hardware, Ground Control Stations, and mission-computing platforms.
• Work with multidisciplinary engineering teams to validate complete hardware/software system integration.

Platform Engineering & Security

• Perform Qualcomm SoC platform bring-up, including BSP integration, Linux/Yocto environments, boot-chain validation, peripheral enablement, driver integration, and platform debugging.
• Implement embedded security capabilities including secure boot, hardware root of trust, Trusted Execution Environments (TEE), key provisioning, encrypted storage, anti-rollback, and secure debug controls.
• Support production security workflows including fuse burning, root-of-trust provisioning, device identity, secure factory flashing, manufacturing provisioning, and manufacturing test procedures.
• Implement sandboxing, access control, encrypted communications, secure OTA updates, and secure coding practices.
• Conduct threat modelling and vulnerability assessments across embedded and autonomy software.
• Support engineering practices aligned with standards such as ISO 27001 and DO-326A.

DevOps, Automation & Validation

• Develop CI/CD pipelines for ROS2, embedded software, and AI workloads deployed to NVIDIA and Qualcomm environments.
• Use Git, Docker, Kubernetes, automated testing, and modern software delivery practices.
• Build reproducible development and deployment environments for autonomous software.
• Support SITL/HITL testing, automated validation, code review, release management, and configuration control.
• Use MATLAB or similar engineering tools for automation, test scripting, data analysis, model-based workflows, validation, and manufacturing automation.

Engineering Leadership

• Define architecture and engineering standards across mission-computing and autonomy software.
• Implement telemetry, logging, diagnostics, and real-time system monitoring.
• Optimize software for latency, GPU utilization, energy efficiency, reliability, and system performance.
• Define and maintain software development lifecycle standards, coding guidelines, documentation, and review processes.
• Establish engineering metrics covering deployment cycle time, test coverage, system uptime, quality, and security.
• Drive reusable software components and common frameworks across multiple platforms.
• Lead code reviews, technical retrospectives, sprint planning, backlog refinement, and knowledge-sharing sessions.
• Mentor engineers and collaborate across software, hardware, systems, security, QA, manufacturing, and integration teams.

Experience

• 10+ years of experience in robotics, autonomous systems, mission computing, embedded platforms, or safety-critical unmanned systems.
• Significant hands-on experience developing complex software in aerospace, autonomous vehicles, robotics, or similarly safety-critical environments.
• Proven experience bringing autonomous or embedded systems from concept and architecture through productization, field deployment, and operational use.
• Experience leading technically complex software development and cross-functional integration activities.

Technical Skills

• Strong experience with real-time embedded systems and embedded Linux environments.
• Python for automation, testing, AI/ML workflows, tooling, and data pipelines.
• Advanced experience with ROS2, XRCE-DDS, DDS, MAVLink, and modular autonomy architectures.
• Experience developing for NVIDIA Jetson and Qualcomm-based mission-computing platforms.
• Hands-on Qualcomm SoC bring-up, BSP integration, Linux/Yocto, driver integration, peripheral enablement, and platform debugging.
• Knowledge of PX4-based flight controllers, real-time operation, telemetry, parameter management, MAVLink/UDP communication, and mission-computer integration.
• Experience with GPU, DSP, NPU, or other AI accelerators for inference, sensor fusion, and AI/ML deployment.
• Experience integrating camera, LiDAR, GNSS, IMU, flight-control, and other embedded sensor/peripheral systems.
• Embedded cybersecurity experience covering secure boot, hardware root of trust, TEE, key provisioning, encrypted storage, secure OTA, anti-rollback, secure debug, and lifecycle-state management.
• Production security experience including fuse programming, device identity, root-of-trust provisioning, secure factory flashing, and manufacturing security processes.
• Experience implementing secure networking and middleware using technologies such as NATS, DDS, ACLs, authentication, encryption, and PKI-based approaches.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, Git, CI/CD, automated testing, SITL/HITL, and release management.
• Working knowledge of MATLAB or equivalent engineering tools for test, automation, validation, and data analysis.
• Familiarity with ISO 27001, DO-326A, DO-178C, and IEC 61508.

Education & Additional Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline. Master's or PhD is advantageous.
• Experience delivering UAV, robotics, aerospace, or autonomous-system products is highly desirable.
• Experience with machine learning, SLAM, perception, navigation, or multi-agent systems is advantageous.
• Contributions to ROS2, NVIDIA Jetson, embedded Linux, or related open-source ecosystems are beneficial.
• Strong English communication skills with the ability to lead technical discussions across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Industry / Domain

Autonomous Systems | Secure Mission Computing | Robotics | Embedded Platforms | Safety-Critical Software