Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Systems

Flock Safety

83d • $170,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Flock Safety is the leading safety technology platform, helping communities thrive by taking a proactive approach to crime prevention and security. Our hardware and software suite connects cities, law enforcement, businesses, schools, and neighborhoods in a nationwide public-private safety network. Trusted by over 5,000 communities, 4,500 law enforcement agencies, and 1,000 businesses, Flock delivers real-time intelligence while prioritizing privacy and responsible innovation. We’re a high-performance, low-ego team driven by urgency, collaboration, and bold thinking. Working at Flock means tackling big challenges, moving fast, and continuously improving. It’s intense but deeply rewarding for those who want to make an impact. With nearly $700M in venture funding and a $7.5B valuation, we’re scaling intentionally and seeking top talent to help build the impossible. If you value teamwork, ownership, and solving tough problems, Flock could be the place for you. As Flock expands its investment in Drones for first responders, we are assembling a team of talented and driven engineers to help shape the future of autonomous systems. In this role, you will be an integral part of a small, focused team operating at the intersection of robotics, embedded software, and autonomy. You’ll be jumping into the full software stack that runs on our drones — from video processing and multi-agent control architecture, to autopilot, GNC (guidance, navigation, and control), and path planning. This isn’t a narrow role and we do not need an expert in every aspect mentioned, but we’re looking for someone who’s systems-minded, comfortable navigating between layers, and energized by working on real-time, safety-critical systems that actually ship. You’ll also play a key role in evolving our infrastructure and deployment pipeline for autonomous vehicles in the field. This is a high-impact role for an engineer who thrives in fast-moving environments, values deep collaboration, and knows how to take initiative even when the path isn't clear. You'll work with a low-ego, high-talent team, and help shape not just the software, but also the architecture, tools, and culture that will scale with us.

Requirements

• Strong proficiency in C++ and/or Rust for performance-critical, low-level systems
• Experience implementing near-real-time systems on embedded Linux computers
• Deep understanding of real-time systems, robotics middleware, or autonomy stacks
• Familiarity with guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) and/or path planning algorithms
• Experience developing or integrating with autopilot software (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot, custom stacks)
• Comfort working close to hardware — interfacing with sensors, actuators, and low-level I/O protocols
• Systems thinking — ability to reason across architecture layers and make tradeoffs
• Ownership mindset — you take initiative, move fast, and operate well in ambiguity
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and low-ego communication style

Nice To Haves

• Exposure to multi-agent systems or distributed control architectures
• Experience with onboard video processing, especially in resource-constrained environments
• Familiarity with deployment tooling or infrastructure for autonomous systems (e.g., OTA updates, field ops, telemetry)
• Knowledge of simulation environments for robotics (e.g., Gazebo, AirSim)
• Prior experience in safety-critical, mission-critical, or regulated environments

Responsibilities

• Gain an in-depth understanding of Flock’s devices, cloud systems, and customer requirements.
• Familiarize yourself with the device software architecture.
• Connect with members of the Framework, Applications, and Quality teams.
• Understand the software release process we will be following.
• Define software requirements for product requirements.
• Work with product management to ensure that tickets to be worked are fully complete.
• Complete from code to release 3 more tickets.
• Identify a section of the system architecture that you would like to own going forward.
• Identify gaps between what currently exists and what needs to exist for your chosen system.
• Create software requirements for your system (tickets) to track the gap as it narrows.

Benefits

• Flexible PTO: We seriously mean it, plus 11 company holidays.
• Fully-paid health benefits plan for employees: including Medical, Dental, and Vision and an HSA match.
• Family Leave: All employees receive 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave. Birthing parents are eligible for an additional 6-8 weeks of physical recovery time.
• Fertility & Family Benefits: We have partnered with Maven, a complete digital health benefit for starting and raising a family. In 2025, Flock will provide a $50,000-lifetime maximum benefit related to eligible adoption, surrogacy, or fertility expenses.
• Caregiver Support: We have partnered with Cariloop to provide our employees with caregiver support.
• Carta Tax Advisor: Employees receive 1:1 sessions with Equity Tax Advisors who can address individual grants, model tax scenarios, and answer general questions.
• ERGs: We want all employees to thrive and feel like they belong at Flock. We offer four ERGs today - Women of Flock, Flock Proud, LEOs and Melanin Motion.
• WFH Stipend: $150 per month to cover the costs of working from home.
• Productivity Stipend: $300 per year to use on Audible, Calm, Masterclass, Duolingo, Grammarly and so much more.
• Home Office Stipend: A one-time $750 to help you create your dream office.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees