As Sensor & C2 Integration Engineer, you will own the interoperability layer that connects Alta Ares' systems to the broader sensor and command-and-control ecosystem of military and institutional partners. Your core mission is to ingest and normalize track data from heterogeneous external sources and expose Alta Ares' own systems to partner C2 infrastructure through the SAPIENT protocol. You sit at the intersection of protocol engineering, systems integration, and partner-facing technical work, often validating integrations live alongside partner engineers during joint test campaigns and demonstrations.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain ingestion pipelines for heterogeneous external track sources: Cursor-on-Target (CoT) XML streams, ASTERIX binary radar feeds, and proprietary partner protocols
Build and evolve a normalized internal track model that abstracts source-format differences (coordinate frames, update rates, track quality/confidence metrics) for consumption by downstream systems (GCS, fusion, guidance)
Develop parsers, decoders, and protocol adapters with strict validation against partner ICDs and interface specifications
Handle multi-sensor track correlation and basic fusion logic: deduplication, track continuity across sensor handoff, timestamp alignment
Ensure resilience to malformed, late, duplicated, or out-of-order messages from partner systems
Implement and maintain SAPIENT-compliant sensor and fusion nodes: registration, detection reporting, task and command handling, per the SAPIENT interface specification
Lead technical integration work with partner C2/radar vendors: interface review, joint integration test planning, real-time troubleshooting during demonstrations
Produce and maintain partner-facing integration deliverables (ICDs, integration overview datasheets), with careful redaction of internal or sensitive parameters before partner delivery
Track and adapt to partner-specific variants and evolving revisions of the SAPIENT standard
Track the evolution of relevant standards (SAPIENT, ASTERIX, CoT, and adjacent tactical data standards) and assess their impact on Alta Ares' integration layer
Define and enforce internal conventions for track data handling, coordinate transformations, and time synchronization across heterogeneous sources
Contribute to protocol-selection and architecture decisions for new partner integrations
Debug interoperability issues in real time during joint trials: protocol mismatches, timing drift, coordinate-frame errors, malformed messages
Validate end-to-end data flow, from external detection through to track consumption, under operational conditions
Translate partner feedback into concrete specification and implementation improvements
Define and enforce coding standards and review processes for the sensor/C2 integration codebase
Maintain and report on integration status across the full partner portfolio
Support knowledge transfer and onboarding of other engineers on protocol-specific topics

Requirements

4–7 years of experience in systems integration, defence/C2 systems, radar data processing, or tactical data link engineering
Demonstrated hands-on, production-grade experience with at least one of: ASTERIX, CoT, or SAPIENT — with working familiarity with the others considered a strong plus
Proven experience integrating with or building interfaces to radar systems and/or C2 platforms in an operational or near-operational context
Experience producing and maintaining ICDs or interface specifications for external technical partners
Prior work in defence, dual-use, or government-related programs is a strong plus
Strong proficiency in Python and/or C++ for protocol parsing and middleware development
Binary and XML protocol parsing (ASTERIX categories, CoT XML schema, SAPIENT messages)
Network protocols used for sensor/C2 data feeds: UDP/TCP, multicast, serial
Geospatial transformations: coordinate systems (WGS84, ECEF, local NED/ENU) and cross-source time synchronization
Precise reading and implementation of formal ICDs and interface specifications
Git-based development workflows in a collaborative engineering environment

Nice to have

Demonstrated hands-on, production-grade experience with at least one of: ASTERIX, CoT, or SAPIENT — with working familiarity with the others considered a strong plus
Prior work in defence, dual-use, or government-related programs is a strong plus
Familiarity with adjacent NATO/tactical standards (STANAG 4586, Link 16, JREAP-C) is a plus