Principal Airborne LiDAR Systems Engineer

Woolpert is a global leader in architecture, engineering, and geospatial services. The company is seeking a Principal Airborne LiDAR Systems Engineer to lead the development of embedded software, sensor integration, and operator experiences for next-generation airborne LiDAR and remote sensing platforms. The role owns software architecture across sensor operation, field deployment, diagnostics, testing, and lifecycle support while providing technical leadership.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of embedded software architectures for airborne LiDAR and imaging systems
• Develop and maintain software supporting:
  • Sensor control
  • Data acquisition
  • Timing and synchronization
  • Hardware monitoring
  • Communications interfaces
  • Health and status reporting
• Define software requirements and system interfaces across hardware, firmware, and application layers
• Integrate software with:
  • Laser subsystems
  • LIDAR sensor
  • Detector electronics
  • GNSS/INS systems
  • Cameras
  • Aircraft interfaces
  • Data storage systems
• Support laboratory integration, aircraft integration, and operational deployment activities
• Lead development of intuitive operator and maintenance interfaces
• Design software that simplifies:
  • Sensor startup
  • Mission execution
  • Calibration procedures
  • Diagnostic workflows
  • Maintenance activities
• Partner with flight crews and field engineers to improve operational efficiency and reduce training requirements
• Develop health monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions
• Create automated diagnostic and fault reporting capabilities
• Support root-cause investigations for field issues and system failures
• Drive strategies that improve fleet reliability and reduce downtime
• Develop software validation and verification methodologies and support.
  • Environmental testing
  • Hardware-in-loop testing
  • Flight testing
  • Factory acceptance testing
• Analyze software and sensor performance data to identify improvement opportunities
• Establish software development standards and best practices
• Mentor software and systems engineers
• Participate in technology roadmaps and product strategy discussions
• Support customer demonstrations, technical proposals, and executive briefings

Requirements:

• We are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. Applicants must already possess work authorization in the country the job is located
• Bachelor's degree in:
• Computer Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Related technical discipline
• Minimum 7 years of professional software engineering experience
• Minimum 3 years working with embedded systems or hardware-integrated software
• Demonstrated success leading software development for complex technical systems
• Experience supporting products from concept through operational deployment
• C++
• Python
• C
• C#
• Rust
• Linux
• Embedded Linux
• Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS)
• Qt or similar UI frameworks
• Ethernet
• USB
• Serial interfaces
• CAN Bus
• PCIe
• Timing and synchronization systems
• High-speed data acquisition architectures
• Git
• CI/CD workflows
• Automated testing frameworks
• Requirements management tools