<h1><strong>EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS POSITION REQUIRES U.S. CITIZENSHIP.</strong></h1> <h1><strong>Role Description: </strong></h1> <p>Defense Unicorns seeks a Senior-level Engineer to lead the development and implementation of Defense Unicorns’ Autonomy and Unmanned Systems Domain. This role will work closely with fellow platform engineers, software engineers, and warfighters.</p> <h2><strong>What You’ll Work On:</strong></h2> <ul> <li>Deliver interfaces for managing individual assets and large fleets of autonomous and unmanned systems.</li> <li>Design and implement data-rich UIs that reflect real-time and distributed system state.</li> <li>Work with stakeholders to develop workflows for deploying, updating, and monitoring systems across edge, remote, and disconnected environments.</li> <li>Handle complex state management and asynchronous data flows.</li> <li>Integrate frontend applications with backend APIs, platform services, and communications technologies.</li> <li>Improve usability and clarity for technically complex operational workflows.</li> <li>Partner with UX to translate complex system behavior into intuitive user experiences.</li> </ul> <h1><strong>Responsibilities: </strong></h1> <ul> <li>Lead the technical staff and technical baseline of Defense Unicorns’ Autonomous and Unmanned Systems Domain, mentoring and growing a team of software engineers and DevSecOps engineers.</li> <li>Own architectural decisions that align with secure software development practices, application security, and CI/CD best practices.</li> <li>Mentor and develop engineers across the team, fostering technical excellence and continuous learning.</li> <li>Communicate technical priorities with product management while advocating for thoughtful management of technical complexity, scalability, and long-term maintainability.</li> <li>Work closely with peers to ensure cohesive architecture across Defense Unicorns capabilities and seamless integration with the common platform baseline.</li> <li>Translate operational imperatives into product capabilities and guide development toward solutions that meet or exceed mission objectives.</li> <li>Serve as the technical leader across software, communications, and platform technologies, helping bridge engineering teams and operational mission requirements.</li> <li>Continually implement features and functionality that improve mission effectiveness and user experience.</li> <li>Develop and execute comprehensive unit, integration, and user acceptance testing strategies to ensure reliable, resilient software.</li> <li>Work directly with Mission Heroes (customers) and product stakeholders to define a technical roadmap aligned with mission objectives and company goals.</li> <li>Evaluate new technologies and products, assessing their impact on mission capability, technical architecture, and security posture.</li> <li>Support customer integrations, demonstrations, testing events, and operational exercises as required.</li> <li>Communicate and execute effectively in an asynchronous, fully remote environment.</li> </ul> <p><strong>The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise.</strong></p> <p><strong>Required Experience and Qualifications:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Proven experience leading technical teams developing complex software systems.</li> <li>Expertise solving highly technical problems spanning multiple knowledge domains.</li> <li>Hands-on technical depth in <span class="s1"><strong>at least two</strong></span> of the following areas: <ul> <li>Autonomous systems / unmanned platforms</li> <li>Tactical-edge networking (BLE mesh networking, DIL/MANET, mesh radios)</li> <li>Distributed systems (CRDTs, gossip protocols, eventual consistency)</li> <li>Container and software supply chain tooling (Kubernetes, OCI, Zarf/UDS)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Working familiarity with the autonomy and tactical-edge ecosystem, including ROS2/DDS, MAVLink, CoT/TAK, and at least one relevant interoperability standard (STANAG 4586/4817, JAUS, Link16/TADL-J, OMS/UCI, or MOSA/SOSA).</li> <li>Experience leading remote engineering teams and collaborating across distributed organizations.</li> <li>Experience defining technical roadmaps and partnering with product management.</li> <li>Expertise in analyzing complex problems, proposing innovative solutions, and implementing them effectively.</li> <li>Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.</li> <li>Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and thrive in a fast-paced, fully remote environment.</li> <li>U.S. Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance.</li> </ul> <h1><strong>Preferred Experience and Qualifications:</strong></h1> <ul> <li>Expertise and established credibility in Special Operations-specific processes, vernacular, organization, challenges, and technical solutions.</li> <li>Experience integrating software with tactical communications, radio systems, or edge networkin