SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 135,000 - 185,000 / annual
Applied Intuition is a $15B Series A-backed company powering physical AI for autonomous systems across automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining, and agriculture. As a Robotic Software Engineer on the Drone Stack team, you will design and integrate complex autonomy and vehicle intelligence systems spanning hardware and software domains, with a focus on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and defense applications.
You will be responsible for integrating hardware and software onto vehicle platforms and deploying autonomy algorithms in simulation (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and live test environments. Key responsibilities include adapting and developing modular autonomy capabilities across diverse defense problems; integrating autonomy solutions onto embedded Linux platforms with sensor interfacing and data collection; troubleshooting complex integration and software issues; integrating autonomy software with aircraft autopilots, datalinks, sensors, PNT/GPS/INS systems, and ground control stations; supporting live flight tests on Group 1-5 UAVs; collaborating with third-party UAS vendors on OEM hardware integration; conducting system-level setup, testing, and validation; and implementing service-oriented-architecture software and inter-process messaging systems.
Required qualifications include a BS or MS in Robotics, Computer Science, or related engineering field; 3+ years of hands-on experience with robotic systems (hardware, software, and integration); proficiency in C++; experience integrating with Pixhawk autopilots (ArduPilot and/or PX4); experience with communication protocols (UART/RS232/RS422/RS485, SPI/QSPI, I2C, Ethernet); Docker and containerized deployment; Linux-based operating systems (RHEL, Ubuntu); git, Visual Studio Code, and GitLab; familiarity with real-time, edge computing, and safety-critical systems; excellent communication skills; willingness to travel 10–20% for on-site integration and demonstrations; and eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
Nice-to-have skills include modern C++ standards (2011, 2017, 2020), Bash, CMake, FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, Agile development practices, CI/CD pipelines, COTS hardware integration (Nvidia Jetson, Raspberry Pi), and an active U.S. SECRET clearance. The role is based in Poway, CA, with an expectation of 5 days per week in-office work, though occasional flexibility is available.
