Autonomy Software Engineer

Hermeus is a venture-backed defense aviation company reclaiming the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in the world today. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. We work with the Department of War to provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Autonomy Software Engineer to develop flight autonomy capabilities for Hermeus’ supersonic vehicle fleet. You will build software spanning guidance and control, mission autonomy, and navigation while working closely with RPA pilots, GNC engineers, software platform engineers, simulation engineers, and command-and-control teams. 

This is a hands-on role for an engineer who is comfortable owning difficult, cross-functional problems from initial design through integration and flight testing. You will directly influence how Hermeus aircraft navigate, execute missions, interact with operators, and progressively achieve higher levels of autonomy. 

The ideal candidate combines strong modern C++ software-development skills with experience in autonomous or unmanned systems and a practical understanding of guidance, controls, and navigation. 

Responsibilities

• Develop modern C++ software for flight autonomy, guidance, navigation, and control 

• Design and implement mission-autonomy behaviors and vehicle decision-making capabilities 

• Develop and integrate guidance and control loops for unmanned aircraft 

• Support the integration, evaluation, and validation of navigation sensors and navigation solutions 

• Integrate autonomy capabilities into existing aircraft software architectures and command-and-control systems 

• Develop automated test suites, simulation scenarios, and utilities to verify autonomy performance and expected behavior 

• Work closely with GNC and simulation engineers to develop, test, and validate autonomy algorithms 

• Partner with RPA pilots and flight-operations teams to define and execute the autonomy roadmap 

• Integrate autonomy software with vehicle systems, communications links, ground systems, and operator interfaces 

• Diagnose and resolve complex problems spanning autonomy software, vehicle dynamics, navigation, simulation, and command-and-control interfaces 

• Participate in software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, ground-test, and flight-test activities