Head of Software & Perception

Onsite by default. Up to 2 days remote per week after the first 6 months, subject to controlled-data handling constraints and lab access. Full onsite presence during bring-up, qualification, and flight-test campaigns.

Must be eligible for security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program (CGP).

This role defines the software and firmware architecture spanning the flight controller autopilot, map-based and visual navigation, the ground control station, datalink, mission systems, on-vehicle perception and AI pipelines, and product security. You will lead, hire, and mentor firmware, perception, navigation, and GCS engineers as the division scales, own the software-side interface control documents and requirements traceability, and enforce design assurance to DO-178C objectives and MISRA coding standards.

You will direct software development from prototype through qualified release, represent software at PDR, CDR, TRR, and safety reviews, and contribute to the R&D roadmap for flight software, autopilot capability, perception and AI, and mission management jointly with the CTO.

System architecture: Define the software and firmware architecture spanning the flight controller autopilot, map-based and visual navigation, ground control station, datalink, mission systems, on-vehicle perception and AI pipelines, and product security (on-vehicle cryptography and secure boot) — including the logical and physical architecture for onboard computing and networking.

Team leadership: Lead, hire, and mentor firmware, perception, navigation, and GCS engineers as the division scales. Run design and code reviews, own the software program schedule, and coordinate with the other R&D heads — Hardware, Airframe & Mechanical, V&V/Airworthiness and Safety, Systems, Manufacturing, and IT — on integration and requirements.

Interfaces and traceability: Own the software-side Interface Control Documents for avionics, sensors, datalinks, and ground systems, and maintain traceability from requirements through design, implementation, and verification.

Safety and compliance: Establish and enforce software design assurance practices compliant with DO-178C objectives at the assurance level appropriate to each component's criticality, and MISRA coding standards.

Lifecycle management: Direct software development from prototype through qualified release — HIL verification, regression test infrastructure, formal V&V, and independent verification of auto-generated (model-based) flight code by an engineer who did not author the source model. Represent software at PDR, CDR, TRR, and safety reviews.

Technology roadmap: Shape the R&D roadmap for flight software, autopilot capability, perception and AI, and mission management, jointly with the CTO.

Note:

bracketed proficiency levels indicate the depth expected in each area. Items marked Asset are not required.

Embedded firmware (EXPERT):
Real-time embedded C/C++ on ARM Cortex-M / STM
32H7-class MCUs; RTOS (Azure RTOS, FreeRTOS or similar); bare-metal driver development.

Open-source flight stack (EXPERT):
Deep development experience modifying and extending PX4, Ardu Pilot, or similar frameworks — HAL layer porting, custom module integration, and the MAVLink protocol stack.

AI and perception (DEEP):
Model training and deployment for onboard target-recognition workloads; GPU-accelerated inference pipeline design; map-based and visual navigation for GNSS-degraded and denied operation; data/MLOps pipeline ownership from collection and labelling through model iteration and deployment to the target platform.

Software quality and static analysis (DEEP):
Static analysis tooling, enforcement of coding standards for…