Senior Android Apps Engineer – ArcTAK Lead at Firestorm in San Diego, CA

Job description

Who We Are At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. Modern conflict has exposed a fundamental problem: the systems needed most by operators are often too expensive, too slow to produce, and too difficult to sustain at scale. Firestorm exists to change that. We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell — our deployable microfactory — our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need. We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact. About the Role Firestorm builds modular autonomous aircraft designed to adapt across missions, payloads, and deployment environments. We are seeking an Android Applications Engineer, Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to join our team at our San Diego office. In this role, you will design and develop solutions across the TAK ecosystem to support real-time communication, situational awareness, and mission execution for defense and tactical operations. You will rapidly grow into the lead developer on a small team, taking on ownership of this product at that time. Working alongside other senior engineers and cross-functional teammates, you'll apply your strong skills to build, test, and deploy capabilities that directly serve frontline operators. You would be a good candidate for this position if you fit the following description: You have extensive experience in Android and Java engineering. You possess leadership skills and are eager to mentor other engineers. You're curious about real-world tactical challenges and are motivated to build solutions which work in demanding environments. You thrive on collaboration, working with developers, quality assurance, operators, and product managers to deliver impactful results. You welcome rapidly evolving technologies and are comfortable iterating quickly to stay ahead of shifting requirements. You hold yourself to high standards in coding, testing, and documentation. You're always looking to improve. What You’ll Do Design and implement ATAK plugins, features, and integrations in Java. Lead the full development lifecycle of ATAK-based application solutions. Work closely with a manager to plan release goals, timelines, and cycles. Assist with sprint planning for junior developers. Review code from junior developers and assist in their skills development. Author build instructions, testing instructions, release notes and other technical documents. Contribute to and navigate official TAK repositories, maintaining alignment with community standards and coordinating with external stakeholders. Engage with TAK community initiatives to stay current on feature updates and best practices. Create UI assets and ensure interface designs are optimized for ease of use in austere and high-intensity environments. Apply knowledge of industry-standard protocols (i.e. MAVLink, Link 16, OMNI) to develop secure solutions for cross-platform interoperability. Support the evaluation and integration of UAS systems into TAK workflows. Participate in client-facing engagements with government, military, and commercial stakeholders, including gathering feedback and delivering product demonstrations. Implement and maintain best practices for secure data handling, network configurations, and user access controls. Work closely with cross-functional teams (software, hardware, operations) to align TAK capabilities with broader organizational objectives. Required Qualifications Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field. 8+ years of software development experience with a strong focus on Java. 5+ years of experience developing for Android, including familiarity with Android Studio IDE, Android SDK, Gradle build syste