United States
Wonderschool
Arxlight
Software Engineer - Ground Systems Command and Control
United States
Oakland, California, United States
TypeScriptPythonJavaDockerC++
Company Overview
We are a rapidly growing technology startup focused on delivering next-generation drones for security and safety applications. Our company vertically integrates hardware and software to create leading edge capabilities in the UAV space, with a focus on saving lives.
Role Overview
As a Ground Systems Software Engineer, you will be joining the team responsible for the design, development, and fielding of the ground control software that connects our autonomous drone systems to the warfighter. You will build linux services, C2 integration layers, threejs simulations, android apps (ATAK), ground control station interfaces — shaping how operators receive, interpret, and act on information in high-stakes environments. This role is suited for a full-stack software engineer with a focus on backend linux services.
Key Responsibilities
- Ground Control Station Software: Contribute to the development of linux server ground station systems, including radar, radio and other hardware integrations, backend development, networking, logging, video streaming, telemetry streaming.
- Operator Workflow Design: Collaborate with end users to design UI/UX flows that reflect how operators actually work — minimizing cognitive load, surfacing the right information at the right time, and degrading gracefully when comms or sensors are degraded. Much of this role is helping to create the "right" way to control autonomous drones. It's still such a new technology that there's tons of low-hanging fruit for determined innovators to discover.
- Field Testing & Iteration: Travel with the system to exercises and demonstrations, collect operator feedback firsthand, and rapidly iterate on the software based on real-world use. Integrate with new systems out in the field like radars, radios, and other customer-needed hardware.
- Write software in Java/Kotlin and the Android development ecosystem (Android Studio, ADB, Gradle) for tablet control of aircraft.
- 10-20% traveling to integrate new hardware and demo our system to users.
Required Qualifications
- Software Development: Proficiency in Linux backend development, especially long-running services, servers, and networking-heavy software. Docker Containers. Systemd. C, C++, Python, Typescript.
- Proficiency in using AI coding tools to quickly learn new systems and languages.
- Networking & Protocols: Working knowledge of TCP/UDP networking, serial communication, the linux networking stack. MAVLink is a plus.
- Systems Thinking: Ability to reason about the full stack from sensor to screen — understanding how latency, data fidelity, and display choices affect operator decision-making.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- 5 or more years experience is preferred.
- Services Sensibility: Experience designing robust, high-uptime, long-lived linux services. Federated computing is a plus.
- UX/UI Sensibility is nice to have but no stress if not!
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