Senior Software Engineer 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. Firestorm OS is the common software platform that enables those aircraft. It provides the Linux-based services, communications, media, hardware interfaces, SDKs, and system capabilities used across Firestorm aircraft and their variants. As the aircraft portfolio grows, Firestorm OS has to remain reusable across different sensors, payloads, radios, propulsion systems, and compute platforms while integrating with systems provided by partners and government. We are hiring a Senior Software Engineer in the Firestorm OS group to lead integrations. You will own the integrations with third party SDK’s from partners and governement. You will also contribute to the integration of third party payloads. You will work across autonomy, avionics, electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering to ensure integration and interoperability of the evolving aircraft portfolio. What You’ll Do Lead software integrations — Own the integration of third-party SDKs, APIs, and software systems from partners and government into Firestorm's aircraft and software platform. Integrate mission systems — Build and maintain software interfaces between external systems, mission applications, autonomy systems, and Firestorm OS. Integrate payloads — Own the integration of payloads from concept to release: cameras, gimbals, radios, sensors, and other third-party mission equipment. Build integration tools — Develop tools and applications that support system configuration, monitoring, control, and integration activities. Debug the full system — Lead resolution of problems spanning Linux, networking, hardware interfaces, and distributed software components. Drive production-ready integrations — Collaborate with the core software team to make integration changes production-ready and contribute them to shared software repositories. Support field integration — Participate in field testing, demonstrations, and integration activities to ensure integrated capabilities work as expected in operational environments. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 5+ years of professional software engineering experience. Strong C++ programming ability and software engineering fundamentals. Experience working across multiple layers of the software stack. Strong Linux experience, including command-line workflows, debugging, and system administration tasks. Experience with networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, UDP, routing, and network troubleshooting. Experience integrating software with external systems through APIs, SDKs, or communication protocols. Ability to quickly understand and modify large existing codebases. Experience developing reliable production software in fast-moving environments. Experience with Git, including branching and contributing changes to shared production software repositories. Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively across software and hardware engineering teams. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearan