Forward Deployed Software Engineer

Recruiting from Scratch is representing a dynamic aerospace and defense company that specializes in developing large-scale unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm systems. The Forward Deployed Software Engineer will integrate and debug UAV swarm software in real-world environments while serving as a liaison between engineering teams and end users.

Responsibilities:

• Deploy directly alongside customers to integrate, configure, and debug UAV swarm software in real-world environments
• Write and maintain production-grade software in C/C++, Python, and/or Go to support field operations and rapid iteration
• Serve as the technical liaison between the core engineering team and end users, surfacing feedback and driving fixes upstream
• Instrument and debug distributed swarm behavior across multiple UAV platforms simultaneously
• Develop tooling and scripts to enhance deployment reliability and improve operator experience
• Participate in field exercises, test events, and live demonstrations, which may require travel to customer sites
• Document operational findings and contribute to post-mission engineering reviews

Requirements:

• 2–8 years of software engineering experience, particularly in customer-facing or field deployment contexts
• Proficiency in at least two of the following: C/C++, Python, Go, with comfort across all three being a strong plus
• Solid understanding of distributed systems and networking fundamentals
• Demonstrated ability to debug complex, multi-system failures under time pressure in real-world environments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, capable of translating technical findings for both engineers and non-technical operators
• Experience in defense, aerospace, or robotics hardware companies
• Familiarity with UAV systems, flight controllers, or MAVLink/ROS/ROS2
• Background in systems-level programming, networking protocols, or distributed systems
• Hands-on experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) or software-in-the-loop (SITL) testing environments