Senior UAS Engineer

Rising Tide Technology Group, Inc. is the premier UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) solutions provider based in Huntsville, Alabama - an epicenter of aerospace innovation. We specialize in drone operations, pilot training, aircrew development, Drone-as-First-Responder (DFR) operations, and cutting-edge UAS technologies, serving both public and private sectors.

At Rising Tide Technology Group, we believe A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships. Our mission is to elevate national security and technological readiness by delivering elite UAS training, operational support, and IT solutions. Built by veterans and powered by tactical and technical experts, we partner with government, industry, and academia to stay ahead of the evolving technology landscape.

RTTG is seeking an experienced, hands-on Senior UAS Engineer to lead the development, integration, optimization, and sustainment of our uncrewed aircraft platforms at the firmware and flight-stack level. This senior-level technical role requires deep expertise in embedded systems, flight-control firmware, and UAS hardware integration, with the ability to independently drive complex engineering initiatives from development through flight validation and operational deployment.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working directly within firmware source code, troubleshooting complex hardware and software issues, and providing technical guidance across multidisciplinary teams. You will serve as a technical subject matter expert across FPV and autonomous UAS platforms, including Beta flight, PX4, and Ardu Pilot, bridging the gap between firmware development, hardware integration, and validated flight performance.

• Lead the development, modification, building, debugging, and deployment of flight-controller and autopilot firmware across PX4, Ardu Pilot, and Beta flight platforms, working directly within C/C++ source code.
• Design and implement enhancements to flight modes, control algorithms, parameters, mixers, failsafes, and embedded flight-control logic.
• Lead hardware and software integration efforts involving flight controllers, ESCs, sensors, radios, telemetry systems, companion computers, and mission-specific payloads.
• Oversee UAS performance optimization, including advanced PID/rate tuning, filtering, vibration analysis, and flight-log evaluation.
• Develop and execute structured bench, integration, and flight-testing procedures to validate system performance, reliability, and operational readiness.
• Lead complex technical investigations, analyze flight logs (Blackbox, ULog, Data Flash), identify root causes, and implement corrective engineering solutions.
• Develop and maintain Python-based scripting, automation tools, and reproducible firmware build processes using Git and version-control best practices.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert, providing engineering guidance, mentorship, and recommendations to junior engineers and cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate with operations, pilots/RPICs, customers, and suppliers to translate mission requirements into engineering solutions while identifying technical risks and developing mitigation strategies.
• Establish engineering best practices and maintain technical documentation, firmware baselines, test results, and engineering reports; prepare and deliver technical briefings and recommendations to stakeholders.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent demonstrable hands-on experience, with a minimum of 7 years of relevant engineering experience, including direct UAS development and integration.
• Advanced experience with PX4, Ardu Pilot, and Beta flight, including firmware development, source-code modification, compilation, debugging, flashing, and validation on physical hardware.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming, embedded systems, MAVLink protocols, and ground-control software, including QGround
  
  Control, Mission Planner, and Beta flight Configurator.
• Extensive hands-on experience with UAS hardware integration, flight-controller tuning, flight-log analysis, and complex hardware/software troubleshooting, with demonstrated ability to independently lead technical engineering initiatives.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and technical leadership skills, with proficiency in Git and version-controlled development workflows; ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment. U.S. citizenship…