Principal Software Engineer GCS

We are seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer to lead the design, development, integration, and verification of software for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Ground Control Station (GCS) systems. The role will focus on developing reliable, secure, and high-performance software supporting mission planning, command and control, flight monitoring, telemetry visualization, payload management, and real-time situational awareness. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership in software architecture, HMI/UI development, system integration, and automated testing while collaborating closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams. This role requires strong expertise in C/C++, real-time and embedded systems, communication interfaces, and mission-critical software engineering, with a focus on system reliability, operational safety, cybersecurity, and mission effectiveness. RESPONSIBILITIES • Lead the design, development, integration, testing, and maintenance of UAV Ground Control Station software. • Develop and enhance software capabilities for mission planning, command and control, flight monitoring, telemetry visualization, vehicle health monitoring, alerts, payload control, video streaming, and map-based situational awareness. • Lead the development of intuitive and reliable Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) and User Interfaces (UI) for mission operations and real-time vehicle monitoring. • Integrate UAV autopilots, navigation systems, avionics, payload controllers, sensors, and communication systems with GCS applications. • Design and implement reliable communication interfaces for RF, SATCOM, IP networks, and UAV datalinks, addressing latency, packet loss, communication interruptions, and degraded operating conditions. • Develop real-time data processing capabilities for telemetry, navigation, video, payload information, and vehicle health monitoring. • Define and maintain scalable, modular, maintainable, and high-performance software architectures. • Lead code reviews, technical design reviews, software estimation, development planning, and engineering best practices. • Develop and maintain automated testing frameworks covering unit, integration, system, simulation, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing. • Troubleshoot and resolve complex software, system integration, communication, and real-time performance issues during laboratory, field, and flight-test activities. • Support requirements analysis, software verification and validation, configuration management, and technical documentation throughout the software development lifecycle. • Contribute to cybersecurity hardening and the implementation of secure communication mechanisms for GCS applications. • Ensure software development activities comply with applicable aerospace, defense, safety, quality, and interoperability standards. • Collaborate with systems engineering, avionics, embedded software, networking, AI/autonomy, hardware, cybersecurity, testing, and flight operations teams. • Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to software engineers, promoting high standards of software quality, reliability, and engineering excellence. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline. • Typically, 9-12+ years of relevant software engineering experience, preferably in UAV, aerospace, defense, robotics, embedded systems, or other mission-critical environments. • Strong programming proficiency in C and C++ and practical experience developing complex software applications. • Demonstrated experience developing UAV Ground Control Station software, mission planning systems, command-and-control applications, telemetry systems, payload control software, or comparable mission-critical applications. • Experience in HMI/UI development, real-time data visualization, mission monitoring, and operator-facing software applications. • Strong understanding of real-time and embedded software development, including ARM/STM32 platforms and RTOS environments. • Experience with software architecture, object-oriented design, multithreading, concurrency, networking, and distributed systems. • Knowledge of communication protocols and interfaces, including UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet, and IP networking. • Experience integrating autopilots, navigation systems, sensors, avionics, payloads, and communication subsystems with software applications. • Experience developing and executing automated unit, integration, system, and simulation tests. • Familiarity with Linux and Windows development environments. • Strong troubleshooting, analytical problem-solving, and system integration skills. • Excellent technical communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams. • Professional proficiency in written and spoken English. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS • Experience with RTOS platforms such as FreeRTOS, VxWorks, or QNX. • Exposure to additional programming languages, including C#, Python, or Java. • Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, simulation environments, and automated test infrastructure. • Experience developing safety-critical or mission-critical software for aerospace, defense, or autonomous systems. • Knowledge of DO-178C or other applicable aerospace software assurance and safety standards. • Familiarity with NATO interoperability standards, particularly STANAG 4586. • Experience with RF, SATCOM, and UAV datalink integration in operational environments. • Knowledge of cybersecurity principles, secure communications, and hardening of mission-critical software systems. • Experience supporting UAV laboratory integration, field testing, flight testing, or operational deployment. • Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring engineers, and driving software architecture and engineering best practices. • Familiarity with configuration management, requirements traceability, software verification and validation, and regulated engineering development processes.