Senior Software Engineer (Defense/Autonomous Systems)

TL;DR

Senior Software Engineer (C++/Python/ROS 2): Developing autonomous maritime, airborne, and ground systems for US Navy and defense programs with an accent on operator interfaces, protocol translation, and embedded compute integration. Focus on building ATAK/WinTAK plugins, implementing UMAA-compliant services, and deploying AI/ML inference pipelines on NVIDIA Jetson platforms.

Location: Hybrid (West Palm Beach, FL). Must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence (ITAR/EAR compliance). Active U.S. Secret clearance (or ability to obtain) required.

Compensation: Base pay, annual equity package, and potential bonuses.

Company

hirify.global develops autonomous maritime, airborne, and ground systems in support of the U.S. Navy and other defense programs.

What you will do

• Design and implement custom operator control station (OCS) UIs and HUD overlays for unmanned vehicles.
• Develop ATAK and WinTAK plugins for real-time telemetry, mission planning, and payload control.
• Build protocol translation layers bridging MAVLink, DDS/RTPS, and other tactical interfaces.
• Optimize software for NVIDIA Jetson Orin and Raspberry Pi embedded platforms.
• Integrate autonomous behaviors using ROS 2 and ABL frameworks for USV, UAV, and UGV platforms.
• Plan and execute SITL, HITL, and field test campaigns in maritime and airborne environments.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence required (ITAR/EAR).
• Active U.S. Secret clearance or ability to obtain.
• Advanced degree in Computer Science/Engineering (B.S. 8+ yrs, M.S. 5-8 yrs, Ph.D. 3+ yrs exp).
• Proficiency in C++ and Python for real-time embedded and application layers.
• Experience with MAVLink, ArduPilot/PX4, and NVIDIA Jetson platforms.
• Working knowledge of ROS 2 and DDS publish-subscribe architectures.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with UMAA interface definitions and CCS operator interfaces.
• AI/ML inference pipeline development on edge hardware (TensorRT, ONNX).
• Experience with naval/maritime unmanned systems (USV, AUV, ROV).
• Active TS/SCI clearance.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive base pay, annual equity package, and potential bonuses.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge autonomous defense systems.
• Direct involvement in field and maritime operational demonstrations.
• Collaborative multidisciplinary engineering environment.