Lead Embedded Software Engineer

Founding Embedded Software Engineer – Build the flight software behind a new class of interceptor systems Hawthorne, California | On-site

Opportunity Summary Join a recently funded seed-stage defense technology startup developing a new generation of low-cost interceptor systems for rapidly evolving airborne threats. The company has already built and demonstrated working flight hardware with military users and is now expanding its core engineering team as it moves from early intercept demonstrations toward deployable systems and higher-rate production. As a Founding Embedded Software Engineer, you will own a significant portion of the software running directly on the vehicle. You will develop real-time flight software, integrate sensors and hardware, translate GNC algorithms into reliable embedded implementations, and help evolve the existing software stack into a production-ready system capable of operating across increasingly demanding missions and environments.

About Us We are a seed-stage defense technology company developing compact, highly maneuverable interceptor systems designed around lower cost, rapid iteration, and scalable manufacturing. The team is intentionally small, with engineers taking direct ownership of major vehicle systems from initial development through flight testing. The company has completed successful customer demonstrations, recently secured additional financing, and is now building out several founding-level engineering functions.

Job Duties Own and advance embedded software across guidance, navigation, flight control, sensing, and vehicle systems

Develop production-quality C/C++ for bare-metal, RTOS, and other resource-constrained embedded environments

Translate GNC algorithms and mathematical models into reliable real-time flight software

Optimize software for deterministic execution, low latency, memory efficiency, and limited onboard compute

Integrate IMUs, GNSS, magnetometers, RF systems, optical sensors, and other vehicle sensors into the flight-software architecture

Develop drivers, interfaces, and data pipelines connecting sensors, actuators, avionics, and flight computers

Support the development and integration of new sensing and guidance approaches

Perform board bring-up, hardware/software integration, and low-level debugging

Develop robust telemetry, logging, fault handling, and onboard diagnostic capabilities

Profile and optimize performance-critical code under tight compute and power constraints

Build tools for software testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, simulation, and flight-data analysis

Support system integration, ground testing, range operations, and flight testing

Analyze onboard logs and flight data to identify failures, performance limitations, and opportunities for improvement

Work closely with GNC, electrical, mechanical, propulsion, and test engineers to define interfaces and system requirements

Help establish the embedded software architecture, development standards, and technical practices that future engineers will build upon

Qualifications 3+ years of hands-on embedded software development experience

Strong proficiency in C or C++ for embedded systems

Experience developing software for microcontrollers, embedded processors, or other resource-constrained compute platforms

Experience working in bare-metal, RTOS, or other real-time environments

Strong understanding of timing, interrupts, concurrency, memory management, and deterministic software behavior

Hands-on experience integrating sensors, actuators, or other hardware into embedded systems

Ability to debug across the hardware/software boundary using laboratory tools and onboard telemetry

Experience profiling and optimizing performance-critical embedded code

Working understanding of control systems, numerical methods, state estimation, or sensor fusion

Ability to collaborate closely with algorithm developers and translate mathematical concepts into reliable software

Strong technical judgment and comfort making decisions in an early-stage environment

Ability to independently own software from initial implementation through hardware integration and flight testing

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical discipline

Ability to work on-site in Hawthorne, California

Preferred Experience Embedded flight software for UAS, missiles, interceptors, spacecraft, rockets, autonomous vehicles, or robotics

Experience working with PX4, ArduPilot, Betaflight, or similar flight-control architectures

Familiarity with GNC algorithms and real-time flight-control implementation

Sensor-fusion and state-estimation experience

Hardware-in-the-loop or software-in-the-loop testing

Experience with custom flight computers or avionics hardware

Familiarity with CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet, or similar embedded communication protocols

Experience operating in GPS-denied or degraded-navigation environments

Rust or Zig development experience

Previous experience in a small technical team where engineers owned major portions of a product or vehicle

Why Join Us Take founding-level ownership of the embedded flight-software stack

Build on a vehicle platform that has already completed successful real-world demonstrations

Work directly across embedded software, GNC, avionics, sensing, hardware integration, and flight testing

See software move quickly from your development environment onto real flight hardware

Help establish the software architecture and engineering standards as the team grows

Work on systems designed around scalable production rather than one-off prototypes

Founding-stage equity

Performance-based bonuses for exceptional contributions

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Company-provided meals during working days and launch activities

Paid time off and company holidays

Compensation Details $120,000 – $170,000

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