Senior Android Apps Engineer – ArcTAK Lead

Firestorm•San Diego, CA

9d•$145,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

Firestorm builds modular autonomous aircraft designed to adapt across missions, payloads, and deployment environments. We are seeking an Android Applications Engineer, Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to join our team at our San Diego office. In this role, you will design and develop solutions across the TAK ecosystem to support real-time communication, situational awareness, and mission execution for defense and tactical operations. You will rapidly grow into the lead developer on a small team, taking on ownership of this product at that time. Working alongside other senior engineers and cross-functional teammates, you'll apply your strong skills to build, test, and deploy capabilities that directly serve frontline operators. You would be a good candidate for this position if you fit the following description: You have extensive experience in Android and Java engineering. You possess leadership skills and are eager to mentor other engineers. You're curious about real-world tactical challenges and are motivated to build solutions which work in demanding environments. You thrive on collaboration, working with developers, quality assurance, operators, and product managers to deliver impactful results. You welcome rapidly evolving technologies and are comfortable iterating quickly to stay ahead of shifting requirements. You hold yourself to high standards in coding, testing, and documentation. You're always looking to improve.

Requirements

Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
5+ years of software development experience with a strong focus on Java.
5+ years of experience developing for Android, including familiarity with Android Studio IDE, Android SDK, Gradle build system, and Jetpack libraries.
Ability to seamlessly integrate C++ code into Android applications using the Android NDK and JNI.
Experience implementing encryption, authentication, and secure communication methodologies in restricted environments.
Background in secure DevOps practices, including test automation and CI/CD pipelines.
High proficiency in Android architecture fundamentals, including the Activity lifecycle, Services, Broadcast Receivers, and Content Providers.
Customer-facing communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
U.S. citizenship is required, alongside the ability to obtain U.S. Government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Deep knowledge of the TAK ecosystem (ATAK, TAK Server, etc.), including plugin development and system integration.
Full understanding of the Cursor-On-Target message formats and its different sub-schemas.
Demonstrated success building and maintaining ATAK/TAK solutions, including plugin creation and lifecycle management.
Hands-on familiarity with the TAK Product Center, including code contributions, community collaboration, and plugin lifecycle management.
Background in defense or tactical UX, with an understanding of operator constraints, workflows, and operational requirements.
Experience with real-time video streaming systems (RTSP, SRT) connected to TAK platforms.
Knowledge of unmanned aerial systems, including flight dynamics, sensor feeds, and communication protocols.

Responsibilities

Design and implement ATAK plugins, features, and integrations in Java.
Lead the full development lifecycle of ATAK-based application solutions.
Work closely with a manager to plan release goals, timelines, and cycles.
Assist with sprint planning for junior developers.
Review code from junior developers and assist in their skills development.
Author build instructions, testing instructions, release notes and other technical documents.
Contribute to and navigate official TAK repositories, maintaining alignment with community standards and coordinating with external stakeholders.
Engage with TAK community initiatives to stay current on feature updates and best practices.
Create UI assets and ensure interface designs are optimized for ease of use in austere and high-intensity environments.
Apply knowledge of industry-standard protocols (i.e. MAVLink, Link 16, OMNI) to develop secure solutions for cross-platform interoperability.
Support the evaluation and integration of UAS systems into TAK workflows.
Participate in client-facing engagements with government, military, and commercial stakeholders, including gathering feedback and delivering product demonstrations.
Implement and maintain best practices for secure data handling, network configurations, and user access controls.
Work closely with cross-functional teams (software, hardware, operations) to align TAK capabilities with broader organizational objectives.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Equity grants for new hires
Unlimited PTO
Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July & December.
Generous Parental Leave
Lifestyle Spending Account
FSA
DCFSA
HSA
Hospital Indemnity insurance
Critical Illness insurance
Accident insurance
Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm. Plus, the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.
Relocation assistance is available