Staff Engineer, Software, GCS - C++ (R5189)

This role focuses on building Ground Control Station (GCS) and Command & Control (C2) software for unmanned missions. You will design and develop major GCS features, mentor mid-level engineers, and represent the team to autonomy capabilities, flight operations, and external partners. It is a hands-on role for engineers who enjoy designing user-facing controls and mission-critical systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop & Field GCS/C2 Software — Design, develop, and optimize high-performance, responsive GCS software and C2 applications, focusing on map-centric mission planning, real-time command & control, video streaming, and telemetry visualization. Customize and extend QGroundControl (QGC) or related Qt/C++ frameworks to support custom vehicle protocols and multi-agent operations.
• Technical Leadership — Own technical direction for major GCS features and systems; architect UI/UX layouts, design robust client/server interfaces, and lead technical decision-making within your project area.
• Collaboration Across Teams — Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team, Perception team, flight operations, and external partners (platform integrators, C2 providers, and vehicle vendors); author and negotiate APIs, ICDs, and interface contracts rather than just consume them.
• Mentorship & Growth — Mentor mid-level engineers on the team; partner with managers on onboarding, leveling, and growth planning. Formally onboard senior new hires.
• Design, UX, & Documentation — Drive design reviews, UI/UX prototyping, and ICD definition; champion rigorous coding standards, unit/integration testing, and developer/operator documentation to close process gaps that span teams.
• Pre-deployment Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission-ready ground stations; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, UI/UX readiness, and release cadence with capability and feature teams.
• On-site Test & Mission Support — Travel to test sites and support live mission operations (flight tests, range exercises, on-water trials, integration events), working closely with operators and pilots to gather feedback, debug live C2 systems, and troubleshoot interfaces under time-critical field constraints.
• Hardware/Software Debugging — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex GCS/C2 stacks, radio links, payload controls, and telemetry streams — including UI responsiveness bottlenecks, memory leaks, and network latency profiling under operationally-representative loads.
• Mission Data & Debrief Support — Architect and implement post-mission debrief utilities and telemetry analysis tools that parse, play back, and visualize telemetry, logs, and payload data for rapid post-mission analysis and issue reproduction.
• Continuous Improvement — Build tools and automation scripts to improve C2 deployment pipelines, test/mission reliability, and simulation-based operator testing.
• C2 Interoperability & Standards — Own compliance and integration with command-and-control standards and architectures (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, MAVLink).
• Hiring — Interview candidates, help define the skills bar for open roles in your area, and onboard new engineers into your sub-program.
• Travel Requirement — Members of this team typically travel around 10-20% of the year (to support field integration, customer demonstrations, or test events).

Requirements

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
• Strong proficiency in C++, with experience developing complex, multi-threaded, or latency-sensitive desktop applications.
• Experience building responsive user interfaces using Qt/QML (or similar modern UI frameworks).
• Hands-on experience customizing, extending, or building with QGroundControl (QGC) or similar open-source/proprietary ground station software.
• Experience full-stack or building backend in C/C++, Python, TypeScript, or Go, including service orchestration, command/status interfaces, and data pipelines between UI, ground services, and vehicle-side components.
• Deep familiarity with networked and distributed systems, including UDP/TCP transport, custom binary protocols, reliable messaging, pub-sub/IPC middleware, and serialization/IDL tooling.
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools to accelerate software design, implementation, debugging, testing, and code review while maintaining strong engineering judgment, validation discipline, and ownership of final technical decisions.
• Demonstrated experience owning a major software capability or system from architecture through field delivery.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and growing technical talent.
• Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts, schemas, or ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.
• Strong debugging and profiling skills, including diagnosing memory leaks, UI responsiveness bottlenecks, and network latency issues.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Nice to have

• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), map rendering engines (e.g., Mapbox, Cesium, Esri, QGC Map Engine), and 2D/3D spatial data visualization.
• Familiarity with video streaming protocols and multimedia frameworks (e.g., RTSP, WebRTC, GStreamer, H.264/H.265 video codecs).
• Experience developing post-mission telemetry analysis, log parsing, or interactive playback/debrief systems.
• Familiarity with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and deploying C2 services to local, edge, or cloud environments.
• Experience with platform control / autopilot protocols (e.g., MAVLink, STANAG 4586) or DoD C2 standards (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS).
• Experience working closely with flight operators, pilots, or military stakeholders to gather feedback and refine user workflows.
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.

Benefits

• Full-time regular employee offer package:
• Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
• Temporary employee offer package:
• Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
• Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.