Senior Software Engineer, Systems FDE

Ditto • Austin, TX

12h • Remote

About The Position

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you are the technical tip of the spear. FDEs are elite, versatile engineers who work shoulder-to-shoulder with our most critical users to solve complex challenges in real time. Your primary mission is to radically decrease the time-to-value of our software by integrating it directly into the user's operational environment.
Because you see firsthand how our technology performs in the wild, you will also act as a crucial conduit, feeding technical insights and feature requirements back to our core product engineering team. This role requires a highly adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable moving fast, navigating ambiguity, and figuring things out quickly in high-stakes environments.

Requirements

• Clearance Requirement: Must hold an active TS/SCI clearance (Due to federal security clearance requirements, U.S. Citizenship is strictly required for this role).
• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, embedded systems engineering, or systems integration. This includes hands-on experience writing software that interfaces directly with military or aerospace data buses and protocols.
• 2+ years of technical experience working with avionics bus standards such as MIL-STD-1553 and/or ARINC 429, including message parsing, bus monitoring, and protocol-level debugging.
• Demonstrated experience with tactical datalink protocols (Link 16, SADL) and/or Cursor-on-Target (CoT) message formats. You should understand the structure of these data standards and how to translate between them.
• A highly adaptable, problem-solving mindset, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, move fast, and balance immediate operational fixes with long-term technical fidelity.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. As the crucial bridge between the operational edge and our core development team, you must be able to translate complex, edge-case technical realities and user workflows into clear, actionable requirements for product engineers.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience with C5ISR system-of-systems architectures, including an understanding of how sensor-to-shooter kill chains are constructed and maintained across platforms.
• Experience with real-time embedded operating systems and developing software under hard real-time constraints.
• Familiarity with flight test or operational test environments, including working with Developmental Test (DT) or Operational Test (OT) teams on military platforms.
• Experience with software-defined radios (SDRs) or waveform development for tactical communications.
• Previous experience working directly with DoD platform program offices (e.g., PMA, PEO), with an understanding of the certification and accreditation processes for airborne software.
• A background in systems programming (e.g., C, C++, Rust) alongside standard scripting, allowing for deep optimization of bus interfaces and protocol handlers.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-461 (EMI/EMC) or DO-178C software assurance considerations as they relate to deploying software on airborne platforms.

Responsibilities

• Integrate with Military Avionics Data Buses: Lead the on-site integration of our software with airborne and ground-based platforms by engineering data ingest and translation layers for MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 avionics buses.
• Implement Tactical Datalink Interfaces: Architect and deploy software interfaces to parse, transform, and route messages from tactical datalinks including Link 16 and Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL), ensuring reliable machine-to-machine interoperability in contested environments.
• Enable Cursor-on-Target (CoT) Data Flows: Build and maintain robust CoT event pipelines that bridge platform sensor data into the broader C5ISR ecosystem, ensuring operational relevance and low-latency dissemination.
• Solve Problems in Real-Time: Act as the first line of technical defense, rapidly diagnosing and resolving software, protocol, and integration issues as they arise on operational platforms.
• Bridge the Gap: Translate the unique, edge-case operational realities you observe (e.g., non-standard bus configurations, latency-sensitive datalink traffic, platform-specific firmware constraints) into actionable technical requirements for the core product development team.

Benefits

• We offer competitive salaries and meaningful equity. We believe everyone on the team should have a stake in what we’re building. Benefits vary by region to make sure you're covered in the ways that matter most. In the US, that includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, plus a 401(k) and flexible spending accounts.
• Regardless of where you live, everyone at Ditto can utilize flexible time off. And while we work remotely, our Atlanta and San Francisco offices are open if you ever want a place to work or meet up with teammates.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees