Senior Fullstack Developer (Backend)

Systems Innovation Engineering

About The Position

We are seeking a backend-leaning Full-Stack Engineer to build and integrate concept capabilities for an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) autonomy and mission software platform. This role is centered on Python networking, backend service development, real-time data movement, distributed systems integration, and C++ interfaces/components. Frontend experience, especially with Svelte/SvelteKit, is a plus, but it is not the primary focus of the position. You will work on the software and networking backbone behind operator-facing capabilities: telemetry transport, service-to-service communication, simulation integration, protocol adapters, message pipelines, and vessel-adjacent interfaces. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between backend application code, networking behavior, containerized deployments, and lower-level integration work.

Requirements

BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.
Strong Python experience for backend services, tooling, networking, or automation.
Experience with backend system design and real-time integration patterns such as WebSockets, REST, TCP/UDP, streaming, or pub/sub.
Working knowledge of C++ for software integration, systems work, or performance-sensitive components.
Experience with Docker and Docker Compose; familiarity with Kubernetes is a plus.
Strong debugging skills across backend services, networking behavior, and distributed systems.
Ability to work across multiple layers of a software stack in support of integrated concepts and demonstrations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with distributed messaging systems such as Redis or Valkey pub/sub, DDS, MQTT, Kafka, or similar.
Experience with simulation, replay, or telemetry-heavy systems.
Familiarity with autonomy, robotics, or maritime system concepts.
Exposure to maritime or USV-related data sources such as GPS, IMU, AIS, radar, or NMEA/NMEA2000 is a plus, not required.
Experience with Svelte, SvelteKit, or other modern frontend frameworks is a plus.
Experience building map, geo, or operational interfaces is helpful but not required.

Responsibilities

USV Concept Delivery & Integration
Deliver integrated concept demonstrations for USV workflows such as mission execution monitoring, route execution support, vehicle health/status, operator oversight, and simulation-backed demonstrations.
Connect backend services to simulation, replay, and vessel-adjacent systems so concepts reflect realistic telemetry cadence, state transitions, faults, and mission events.
Support end-to-end integration across services, data streams, and mission software components.
Backend Engineering (Python / Networking / Distributed Systems)
Develop Python services, adapters, and tooling to support concept development, data translation, automation, replay, and simulation hooks.
Implement and maintain real-time interfaces such as REST APIs, WebSockets, TCP/UDP communication paths, streaming pipelines, and pub/sub patterns.
Design and troubleshoot inter-service communication, connection management, reconnection behavior, message routing, and high-rate telemetry handling.
Work within distributed architectures common to autonomy stacks, including Redis or Valkey, DDS, pub/sub buses, and other message-oriented systems.
Diagnose backend and networking issues such as service discovery failures, QoS/config mismatches, dropped connections, environment drift, and runtime logging problems.
C++ & Lower-Level Integration
Contribute to or interface with C++ components where performance, hardware interaction, protocol handling, or existing subsystem integration requires it.
Work across mixed-language systems where Python services integrate with C++ libraries, binaries, or networked components.
Assist with protocol and device integration efforts relevant to autonomy or vehicle systems.
Frontend & Full-Stack Support
Support frontend or operator-facing application work as needed, including integration with existing web interfaces.
Svelte or SvelteKit experience is beneficial for full-stack collaboration, but deep frontend specialization is not required.
Orchestration, Deployment & Maintainability
Work across containerized and orchestrated deployments including Docker, Docker Compose, and Kubernetes.
Add pragmatic test coverage for critical backend logic and integration flows.
Produce clear runbooks for setup, deployment, networking configuration, simulation inputs, and troubleshooting to keep concepts demo-ready.