Software Engineer, AI Engineer, Embedded Software Engineer

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This range is provided by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

$/yr - $/yr

Are you interested in working in multi-disciplinary teams to advance the state-of-the-art in autonomous systems, uncrewed air systems, artificial intelligence, software design, embedded systems, virtual reality, and simulation?
Are you interested in applying your skills to conceive, design, prototype and test new capabilities in intelligent autonomous systems that will save US warfighter’s lives and ensure our nation’s preeminence?
If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, we are looking for someone like you to join our team in the Intelligent Combat Systems Group at APL!

We are the Intelligent Combat Systems Group, and our mission focus is to ensure our Nation maintains the operational advantage on the future battlefield through foundational advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, manned‑unmanned teaming and novel unmanned aircraft (e.g. drones) design and testing. We believe the future of warfare will be defined by intelligent autonomous systems capable of fighting with machine precision at machine speeds.

Whether it is developing the intelligence that drives autonomous wingmen behaviors, integrated real‑time collaboration tools and data analytic architectures, or novel AI design tools and software, the Intelligent Combat Systems Group is at the forefront. Three of our recent game‑changing projects (DARPA Air Combat Evolution, AFRL Golden Horde, and Air Force Sky Borg) are featured in recent news articles, highlighting our impact and innovation.
We are seeking inquisitive and creative team members who like to tackle challenging problems to help us build the next generation of autonomous combat systems and shape the future of warfare. Our team is an entrepreneurial and multidisciplinary team committed to developing technical talent, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, while having fun with what we do!

• Design, implement, and maintain mission software in Python, C++, or C# for complex real‑world systems, software services, SDKs, prototypes, and tools
• Develop automated test frameworks and CI/CD pipelines to validate components and systems at scale
• Create data ingestion and processing pipelines and develop real‑time monitoring and visualization tools for test execution and field operations
• Build real‑time, map‑based web interfaces for streaming sensor data and commanding physical assets
• Develop software services and APIs for integration with various hardware assets (payloads, sensors, and radios), avionics, and software testing of those services into larger vehicle ecosystems
• Design, develop, and optimize simulation frameworks for autonomy and flight dynamics, including physics‑based models and performance profiling
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams in aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, modeling and simulation, and systems engineering to translate user needs into software requirements and working capabilities
• Test software‑hardware integrations in lab, hardware‑in‑the‑loop, software‑in‑the‑loop, and real‑world environments, including occasional field deployments
• Own roadmaps and milestones for well‑scoped components, drive design and code reviews, and champion reliability, observability, and security throughout the stack
• Contribute to platform and developer experience efforts, including build systems, dependency management, and containerized development environments

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you…

• Have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field
• Have 3+ years of professional software engineering experience shipping and maintaining software ranging from prototype to production‑quality
• Are highly proficient in at least one of the following programming languages:…