Lead Software Engineer, Advanced Pilot Assistant Software (Autonomy/Robotics)

Beacon AI • San Carlos, CA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Lead Software Engineer to help design and build the advanced pilot assistance software that supports our flight safety platform. In this role, you will develop and deploy autonomy, robotics, and embedded systems that operate in real-world, safety-critical aviation environments. You will take ownership of mission-critical functionality, contribute hands-on across the stack, and mentor a small team while delivering reliable systems that support time-sensitive decision-making for human operators.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience designing and deploying robotic software and/or embedded systems in production environments.
• Strong software engineering skills in C++ and/or Python, with experience in systems-level or embedded programming.
• Experience building real-time or interactive systems that support users making time-sensitive decisions.
• Familiarity with autonomy-related systems such as planning, decision-making, or reasoning, and integrating with perception or sensor pipelines.
• Hands-on experience working with embedded or edge compute platforms and debugging hardware/software interactions.
• Proven ability to deliver complex systems end-to-end in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working on safety-critical or mission-critical systems, including aviation or robotics domains.
• Familiarity with robot operating systems or middleware such as ROS or DDS.
• Experience supporting human operators in the loop, simulation environments, or real-time control systems.
• Background in advanced mobility, autonomy, and robotics.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy robotic and embedded software that powers advanced pilot assistance systems in production environments.
• Own autonomy-related features or subsystems from concept through deployment, driving work from 0 to 1 with a strong focus on reliability and performance.
• Write, review, and maintain high-quality Python and C++ code across autonomy, systems, and embedded components.
• Integrate software with hardware, sensors, and perception or data ingestion pipelines to support autonomous and operator-in-the-loop decision-making.
• Optimize software for edge compute environments, managing CPU/GPU usage, latency, and implementing appropriate safety mechanisms and fail-safes.
• Lead testing, validation, and deployment efforts to ensure systems meet safety-critical and mission-critical requirements.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to technical direction through design reviews, code reviews, and hands-on collaboration.

Benefits

• Healthcare: 100% of employee medical premiums covered; 25% for dependents
• Time Off: 3 weeks PTO plus 13+ paid company holidays
• Stipends: Monthly phone and wellness benefits
• 401(k): Offered (no current employer match, but we are committed to enhancing this benefit in the future).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed