Principal Robotics Software Engineer

About the Role Join the robotics team at a defense technology company developing autonomous systems to detect and counter drone threats. This is a senior, hands-on individual contributor role focused on production C++ running on physical robotic hardware. What You'll Do Write and own critical production C++ across the robotics software stack. Manage timing, threading, latency, and safety contracts across perception, tracking, control, and autonomy. Move software from prototype to reliable field use through release processes, packaging, deployment, CI/CD, quality assurance, and hardware-in-the-loop testing. Mentor and support the growth of the robotics team while continuing to code hands-on. Investigate and resolve issues that emerge on real hardware, including during field testing. What We're Looking For 10 or more years of hands-on robotics software engineering experience and a record of shipping robotic systems. Recent experience writing production C++ for physical systems, including personally implementing tracking, calibration, and sensor fusion. Experience taking robotics software from prototype to repeatable release for field, operator, fleet, or customer use. Broad experience across sensors, perception, tracking, control, middleware, and deployment, including ownership of timing and latency architecture across a system. Experience with robotics CI/CD, quality assurance, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and formal release and deployment processes. Experience mentoring or growing a team while remaining a hands-on individual contributor. ROS or ROS 2, cameras, IMUs, encoders, gimbal systems, and defense, aerospace, or safety-critical software experience are useful. Must be a U.S. person due to export control requirements. Compensation & Benefits Base salary: $235,000 to $305,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available. Location On-site in San Francisco, California, five days per week, with field test days included.