Principal Software Engineer (Robotics)

TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer (Robotics): Developing software to control advanced robotic platforms and the Kinesis ecosystem with an accent on vision-based navigation, autonomy, and cross-platform system integration. Focus on designing high-performance SDK interfaces, implementing complex architectural decisions in C++ and Kotlin, and validating features through hands-on field testing.

Location: Melbourne, FL. Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Asylee/Refugee)

Salary: $133,500 - $189,525

Company

Premier autonomous systems company in the U.S. delivering breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber through AI-powered drones and integrated autonomy.

What you will do

• Develop software for vision-based navigation, autonomy, cooperative behaviors, and mission systems technology.
• Drive technical direction and architectural decisions across the Kinesis software ecosystem.
• Design and implement cross-platform applications for Android, Linux, and Windows using C++ and Kotlin.
• Develop SDK interfaces for internal and external integration with AV systems.
• Serve as a technical lead for customer programs and perform hands-on field testing with robots.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to less experienced engineers in a continuous learning environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Math, or Physics with 12+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong fluency in modern C++, maintainable software architecture, and modular system design.
• Hands-on knowledge of CMake and experience with mechatronic or hardware-integrated systems.
• Knowledge of computer networking topologies and safety-critical software concepts (determinism, real-time systems).
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen, Green Card holder, or asylee/refugee) to comply with ITAR/EAR regulations.
• Ability to obtain a US DoD Secret clearance if required.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD).
• Experience with UAS, drones, robotics, or other embedded systems.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (Gitlab) and Docker.
• Proficiency with FastDDS, gRPC, MQTT, or similar networking protocols.
• Experience designing and delivering APIs and SDKs to third-party developers.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401K plan with company matching.
• 9/80 work schedule and paid holiday shutdown.
• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge platforms from industry leaders like Boston Dynamics and Skydio.
• High-ownership environment focused on curiosity and mission-obsessed engineering.