Staff Engineer, Software, GCS - C++ (R5189

Job Description

The Ground Control Station (GCS) and Command & Control (C2) Software team builds the mission planning, command & control, and post-mission debrief systems that enable operators to seamlessly manage complex, multi-domain unmanned missions. We combine deep desktop application development, modern map‑centric interfaces, robust backend integrations, and platform‑specific control protocols to deliver a world‑class operator experience across air, maritime, space, and effects/expendables.

In this role, you will focus on building Ground Control Station software, advanced mission planners, post‑mission debrief utilities, and general C2 interfaces. You will work across C++, Qt/QML, QGround

Control (QGC), and full‑stack technologies to translate autonomous platform capabilities into intuitive, low‑latency, and highly reliable control systems.

In this role, you will design and develop major GCS features, mentor mid-level engineers, and represent the GCS/C2 team directly to autonomy capability teams, flight operations, and external partners. It's a hands‑on role for engineers who enjoy designing user‑facing controls and mission‑critical systems and want to see their code drive complex real‑world operations.

• Develop & Field GCS/C2 Software — Design, develop, and optimize high‑performance, responsive GCS software and C2 applications, focusing on map‑centric mission planning, real‑time command & control, video streaming, and telemetry visualization. Customize and extend QGround
  
  Control (QGC) or related Qt/C++ frameworks to support custom vehicle protocols and multi‑agent operations.
• Technical Leadership — Own technical direction for major GCS features and systems; architect UI/UX layouts, design robust client/server interfaces, and lead technical decision‑making within your project area.
• Collaboration Across Teams — Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team, Perception team, flight operations, and external partners (platform integrators, C2 providers, and vehicle vendors); author and negotiate APIs, ICDs, and interface contracts rather than just consume them.
• Mentorship & Growth — Mentor mid‑level engineers on the team; partner with managers on onboarding, leveling, and growth planning. Formally onboard senior new hires.
• Design, UX, & Documentation — Drive design reviews, UI/UX prototyping, and ICD definition; champion rigorous coding standards, unit/integration testing, and developer/operator documentation to close process gaps that span teams.
• Pre‑deployment Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission‑ready ground stations; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, UI/UX readiness, and release cadence with capability and feature teams.
• On‑site Test & Mission Support — Travel to test sites and support live mission operations (flight tests, range exercises, on‑water trials, integration events), working closely with operators and pilots to gather feedback, debug live C2 systems, and troubleshoot interfaces under time‑critical field constraints.
• Hardware/Software Debugging — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex GCS/C2 stacks, radio links, payload controls, and telemetry streams — including UI responsiveness bottlenecks, memory leaks, and network latency profiling under operationally‑representative loads.
• Mission Data & Debrief Support — Architect and implement post‑mission debrief utilities and telemetry analysis tools that parse, play back, and visualize telemetry, logs, and payload data for rapid post‑mission analysis and issue reproduction.
• Continuous Improvement — Build tools and automation scripts to improve C2 deployment pipelines, test/mission reliability, and simulation‑based operator testing.
• C2 Interoperability & Standards — Own compliance and integration with command‑and‑control standards and architectures (e.g., A‑GRA, UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, MAVLink).
• Hiring — Interview candidates, help define the skills bar for open roles in your area, and onboard new engineers into your sub‑program.
• Travel Requirement — Members of this team typically travel around 10–20% of the year (to support field…