Software Engineer - Defense R&D

DS2's defense R&D team is seeking a Software Engineer to join on-site in Panama City, Florida. The role supports agile Scrum development of mission-critical software for unmanned systems, spanning design, development, AI/ML, sensor integration, and field prototypes. Compensation ranges from $80,000 to $110,000 per year, and the position requires a Bachelor of Science in engineering or computer science (or equivalent) with at least five years of RDT&E experience.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate within an agile team to plan, manage, and complete product work.
• Contribute to designing, developing, deploying, and demonstrating applications.
• Experiment, develop, peer-review, and continuously integrate changes into the codebase.
• Integrate sensors and unmanned platforms (UAS/UGV) for damage-detection tasks.
• Build and maintain Windows desktop applications using WPF with MVVM patterns.
• Develop and deploy Android applications using Kotlin or Java.
• Architect and operate distributed, mission-critical applications via microservices in containers.
• Develop AI/ML models for robotic perception, damage assessment, and autonomy.
• Implement perception pipelines to identify and classify UXO, debris, and surface damage.
• Conduct research, report findings, and create proofs-of-concept and prototypes for R&D projects.
• Support fieldable prototypes delivering rapid capability to Warfighters.
• Perform manual or automated sUAS flights while ensuring safety and monitoring weather conditions.
• Operate sensors, cameras, or LiDAR to gather high-quality imagery and aerial data.
• Conduct test and evaluation of software on robotics applications in direct hardware contexts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in engineering, computer science, or equivalent, plus at least five years of RDT&E experience since graduation.
• Specific experience with unmanned systems, autonomous systems, sensor/payload integration, or software/hardware integration.
• Experience writing technical papers and conducting RDT&E activities independently.
• Proficiency in one or more languages: C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, or Python.
• Experience integrating hardware components (sensors, actuators, controllers) with software applications.
• Provides ongoing support and troubleshooting for integrated systems to ensure mission continuity.
• Strong time management and prioritization skills to meet deadlines.
• Collaborates with teammates, virtually and in person, to plan projects, resolve issues, and present solutions to clients.
• U.S. citizen eligible for a U.S. government background investigation.

Technologies

• WPF
• MVVM
• Kotlin
• Java
• C
• C++
• C#
• JavaScript
• Python
• Android
• SQL
• Microservices
• Containers
• TAK
• ATAK
• WinTAK
• Git
• GitHub
• Bitbucket
• Azure DevOps
• Atlassian
• sUAS
• LiDAR

Benefits

• Flexible work schedule
• Educational opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement
• Student loan repayment
• Certification reimbursement plus bonuses
• Excellent healthcare, dental, and vision coverage, including STD, LTD, and AD&D
• Generous paid time off and holidays
• 401K with company-matching contributions up to 4%
• Sponsored community and volunteer events, such as beach cleanups and 5Ks