Embedded Flight Software Engineer

As Embedded Flight Software Engineer, you will build and deploy deterministic, mission-critical software for our next-generation autonomous interceptor systems. You will own the core flight software stack, from low-level RTOS task scheduling to the deterministic communication protocols that connect the interceptor directly to Command & Control (C2) ground infrastructure. You will work closely with Hardware Engineering, GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control), and Systems Engineering to take software off the bench, run it through rigorous HIL/SIL simulation, and prove it in live field trials. You will use modern AI-assisted engineering tools daily to ship high-purity, safety-critical C/C++ code at speed, contribute to design reviews and architectural decisions, and raise issues and propose alternatives rather than waiting for direction.

The Mission

Your mission is to write the software that makes the interceptor and its command layer work in the field: reliable, fast, and safe, from the first commit to live deployment.

Why Join Skapion?

Some problems are too urgent to wait. Skapion is a defense-tech company building a Native Counter-Swarm Platform, designed from the ground up to intercept and defeat the threat. We are backed by top-tier investors and recruiting at full steam.

• Build it from day one. Shape the flight software architecture instead of inheriting someone else’s legacy code. The modules you ship will define how the interceptor performs.
• See your code in the field. Take your software from the bench through HIL/SIL to live trials and real operational use.
• Real, visible impact. In a focused team, your work matters directly to the mission and to the people who depend on it.Growing fast. The people who join now will help set the standard for everything that comes next, with modern AI tools in your daily workflow.

If you want to build something that matters, with people who know how, we’d love to meet you.

Responsibilities

• Build & Deploy: Architect and develop real-time flight software, sensor fusion algorithms (IMU, radar, EO/IR integration), and secure, resilient communication protocols connecting the interceptor to ground-station C2.
• Low-Level & RTOS Implementation: Design and tune bare-metal initialization sequences, custom linker scripts, optimized Interrupt Service Routines (ISRs), and deterministic RTOS task prioritization schemes.
• Hardware-Software Integration & HIL/SIL: Partner with Mechanical, Electrical, GNC, and Systems Engineering teams to integrate embedded software onto target hardware, leading SIL and HIL bench testing and field trials.
• AI-Assisted Engineering: Actively apply agentic AI development tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, etc.) to accelerate code generation, refactoring, test generation, and architecture documentation without compromising defense-grade safety standards.
• Technical Ownership: Contribute to architectural reviews, enforce safety-critical C/C++ coding guidelines, and proactively resolve technical bottlenecks.
• Safety-Critical Software Lifecycle (V-Model): Drive software development in alignment with defense safety standards (e.g., DO-178C or equivalent), managing requirements traceability, software architecture design documents, and Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
• Verification & Validation (V&V): Generate and maintain comprehensive verification artifacts, including low-level test procedures, structural coverage reports (statement, branch, and MC/DC), and compliance matrices.

Requirements

• 3–5+ years of hands-on software development experience, primarily in aerospace, defense, robotics, or high-reliability safety-critical domains.
• B.Sc. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Direct experience contributing to UAVs, missiles, autonomous kinetic interceptors, or similar hard real-time systems.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Hard Real-Time C/C++: Production expertise writing low-latency, deterministic C/C++ for embedded targets.
• RTOS Architecture: Hands-on experience with Real-Time Operating Systems (e.g., FreeRTOS, VxWorks, Embedded Linux/PREEMPT_RT).
• Communication Protocols & Hardware Buses: Experience working with defense and embedded buses, including MIL-STD-1553, CAN bus, SPI, UART, and Ethernet.
• Python Proficiency: Strong working knowledge of Python for scripting, test automation, data analysis, simulation tooling and building custom source-to-source code generation pipelines for safety-critical targets.
• Safety Standards & Documentation: Working knowledge of safety-critical software development standards (e.g., DO-178C, MIL-STD), strict coding guidelines (e.g., MISRA C/C++), and requirements-to-test traceability workflows.
• Verification & Analysis Tools: Experience with static code analyzers, code coverage tools, and automated unit testing frameworks in embedded environments.

Advantages

• AI Tooling Fluency: A proven track record using modern AI coding agents to write unit tests, generate documentation, refactor legacy codebases, and iterate rapidly.
• Sensor Fusion & Tracking: Practical background in multi-sensor data fusion (IMU, EO/IR, radar), and target tracking algorithms.
• Secure Communications: Understanding of secure, jam-resistant RF data links, military telemetry streams, and C2 protocol design.
• Embedded DevOps & HIL: Experience configuring automated CI/CD pipelines for target hardware, including HIL test-bench automation.
• Formal V&V Leadership: Proven track record authoring design artifacts, ICDs, and software qualification data packages for regulatory or defense customer review.
• Advanced Degree: M.Sc. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering.