Autonomous Systems Software Engineer - Forward Deployed

1. 2+ years building, integrating, deploying, or supporting software on autonomous systems, robotic systems, drones, UxVs, edge systems, on-prem systems, or sensor/actuator platforms
2. Strong programming ability in Python, Rust, Go, C++, Java, or similar
3. Strong hands-on Linux/GNU experience
4. Experience with edge networking, real-time or streaming data, high-volume sensor data, or low-latency systems
5. Familiarity with drones, robotics, autonomous systems, sensor integration, or actuator systems strongly preferred
6. Familiarity with MAVLink, ArduPilot, PX4, sensor fusion, data fusion, or autonomy software is a plus
7. Experience testing software in lab, field, flight-test, pre-production, or operational environments
8. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience

3.93.9 out of 5 stars Ellicott City, MD 21042 $160,000 - $200,000 a year

Fuze HR Solutions is supporting a leading defense technology company in its search for a Forward Deployed Software Engineer - Autonomous Systems to join a newly formed team building software for autonomous systems used in tactical mission environments.

This role is focused on building, integrating, testing, and deploying software that runs on edge and autonomous systems, including drones, UxVs, edge servers, and upstream control systems. The work involves making software function reliably in compute-constrained, intermittently connected, and fielded environments where real users depend on the system working.

This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who is comfortable moving between software development, Linux systems, networking, deployment, hardware/software integration, field testing, and direct customer/user feedback. You will work with teams across autonomy, sensing, AI, systems engineering, robotics, hardware, and user experience to deliver mission-critical capabilities in real-world environments.

The ideal candidate has built and deployed software for autonomous, robotic, edge, sensor-driven, or similar systems and is excited by the challenge of making complex systems work outside of controlled lab environments.