Senior Software Engineer, Systems FDE

About Ditto:

Ditto is redefining how data moves at the edge. Our mission is to make it seamless for developers to build resilient, real-time applications, regardless of network conditions. Whether you're in a stadium, airplane, or remote military base, Ditto's peer-to-peer sync engine ensures devices stay connected and data stays consistent, even without internet. With more than $145 million in funding and trusted by organizations like Chick-fil-A, Delta Airlines, and the U.S. military, Ditto powers mission-critical experiences across aviation, retail, travel, hospitality, defense, and more.

As a globally distributed, fast-growing startup, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the wide range of perspectives needed to solve the world’s hardest connectivity problems.

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you are the technical tip of the spear. FDEs are elite, versatile engineers who work shoulder-to-shoulder with our most critical users to solve complex challenges in real time. Your primary mission is to radically decrease the time-to-value of our software by integrating it directly into the user's operational environment.

Because you see firsthand how our technology performs in the wild, you will also act as a crucial conduit, feeding technical insights and feature requirements back to our core product engineering team. This role requires a highly adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable moving fast, navigating ambiguity, and figuring things out quickly in high-stakes environments.

• Integrate with Military Avionics Data Buses: Lead the on-site integration of our software with airborne and ground-based platforms by engineering data ingest and translation layers for MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 avionics buses.

• Implement Tactical Datalink Interfaces: Architect and deploy software interfaces to parse, transform, and route messages from tactical datalinks including Link 16 and Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL), ensuring reliable machine-to-machine interoperability in contested environments.

• Enable Cursor-on-Target (CoT) Data Flows: Build and maintain robust CoT event pipelines that bridge platform sensor data into the broader C5
  
  ISR ecosystem, ensuring operational relevance and low-latency dissemination.

• Solve Problems in Real-Time: Act as the first line of technical defense, rapidly diagnosing and resolving software, protocol, and integration issues as they arise on operational platforms.

• Bridge the Gap: Translate the unique, edge-case operational realities you observe (e.g., non-standard bus configurations, latency-sensitive datalink traffic, platform-specific firmware constraints) into actionable technical requirements for the core product development team.

• Clearance Requirement: Must hold an active TS/SCI clearance (Due to federal security clearance requirements, U.S. Citizenship is strictly required for this role).

• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, embedded systems engineering, or systems integration. This includes hands-on experience writing software that interfaces directly with military or aerospace data buses and protocols.

• 2+ years of technical experience working with avionics bus standards such as MIL-STD-1553 and/or ARINC 429
  , including message parsing, bus monitoring, and protocol-level debugging.

• Demonstrated experience with tactical datalink protocols (Link 16, SADL) and/or Cursor-on-Target (CoT) message formats. You should understand the structure of these data standards and how to translate between them.

• A highly adaptable, problem-solving mindset
  , with the ability to navigate ambiguity, move fast, and balance immediate operational fixes with long-term technical fidelity.

• Strong communication skills
  , both written and verbal. As the crucial bridge between the operational edge and our core development team, you must be able to translate complex, edge-case technical realities and user workflows into clear, actionable requirements for product engineers.

• Direct experience with C5
  
  ISR system-of-systems architectures
  , including an understanding of how sensor-to-shooter kill chains are constructed and maintained across platforms.

• Experience with real-time embedded operating systems and developing software under hard real-time constraints.

• Familiarity with flight test or operational test environments
  , including working with Developmental Test (DT) or Operational Test (OT) teams on military platforms.

• Experience with software-defined radios (SDRs) or waveform development for tactical communications.

• Previous experience working directly with DoD platform program offices (e.g., PMA, PEO), with an understanding of the certification and accreditation processes for airborne software.

• A background in systems programming (e.g., C, C++, Rust) alongside standard scripting, allowing for deep optimization of bus interfaces and protocol handlers.

Familiarity with MIL-STD-461 (EMI/EMC) or DO-178C software assurance…