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BRINC is redefining public safety with an innovative ecosystem of life-saving tools, including drones, ruggedized communication devices, and 911 response networks. The company's solutions are deployed by over 600 public safety agencies across America and has raised over $150M from top-tier investors including Index Ventures, Motorola Solutions, and others.
As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will embed onsite with BRINC's most critical customers to own their success in the field. This role is a hybrid of software engineering, technical support, and product expertise—you'll be equally comfortable writing code, flying drones, and briefing customer command staff.
Key responsibilities include:
- Deploy onsite for multi-week engagements with critical customers to install, configure, and commission BRINC drones, robotic drone nests, remote controllers, and proprietary LiveOps software into live 911 response operations
- Support live operational flights, including preparation testing, pre-operational briefings, and debriefs with customer and BRINC teams
- Triage and debug issues in the field across software, firmware, hardware, networking, and RF, driving them to root cause under operational time pressure
- Implement and validate fixes on-site, writing and deploying code and configuration changes, then upstreaming work into the mainline product
- Serve as the primary technical liaison between customers and engineering headquarters, translating field observations into reproducible bug reports and feature specifications
- Rotate back to Seattle headquarters to work directly with embedded, perception, controls, test, and manufacturing engineers
- Maintain deep technical expertise in BRINC products, high flying proficiency, and an FAA Part 107 Pilot's License with recurrent training
- Build trust-based relationships with customers and public safety agencies, remaining calm and credible during mission-critical incidents
- Document issues, create knowledge base articles, and contribute to training materials and runbooks
- Participate in after-hours support rotation for agencies operating 24/7/365
- Responsibly manage assigned BRINC equipment
Required qualifications:
- 4+ years of industry experience in software engineering, field engineering, systems engineering, or technical support of complex hardware systems
- Proven experience troubleshooting complex technical systems across hardware, firmware, and software
- Ability to obtain and maintain an FAA Part 107 license and currency certifications
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for engaging engineering teams and non-technical stakeholders
- Ability to remain calm and decisive while supporting public safety customers in mission-critical situations
- Willingness to participate in rotating after-hours on-call support schedules
- Ability to travel upwards of 90%, including multi-week deployments at customer sites and short-notice deployments
- Proficiency in Python and ability to read, modify, and debug C/C++
- Working knowledge of Linux environments, command-line tools, scripting, and basic networking for diagnostics
- Strong understanding of embedded systems, robotics, or electro-mechanical devices
- Ability to work independently in a dynamic environment, take initiative, and communicate effectively
Preferred qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline; 5+ years supporting UAS or robotics platforms in operational environments; prior forward deployed or field application engineering experience; UAV/UAS software development experience; flight control and autonomy knowledge; experience with embedded interfaces and telemetry systems; familiarity with real-time video and operations center software; cellular and wireless network operations experience; and prior work with public safety agencies.
