Principal Software Engineer

About the Company

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is building the next generation of tactical robotic systems used across defense, national security, and public safety missions. We design and produce multi-mission aerial systems that operators trust to perform in real-world conditions, reliably, repeatedly, and at scale.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across the full software development lifecycle
• Architect, design, and deliver complex software systems as a technical authority
• Collaborate with Product, Design, and Engineering leadership
• Mentor engineers and develop software development plans
• Drive high-impact initiatives across multiple platforms
• Lead technical discussions and design reviews to ensure architectural integrity
• Support field deployments, product testing, and live debugging
• Optimize system performance and close security vulnerabilities

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional software development experience
• 2+ years in a technical leadership or architectural role
• Expert-level C++ skills and performance optimization
• Experience designing large-scale, cross-platform software systems
• Experience with embedded Linux, Android, and Qt
• Experience with QML, REST, and JSON
• Strong understanding of CI/CD, Agile, and coding standards
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Must be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or have asylee/refugee status (ITAR)

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in UAVs, aircraft, robotics, or hobby drones
• Extensive experience with the Qt framework (QtWidgets, QML, meta-object system)
• Success building cross-platform applications (Windows, Linux, Android)
• Proficiency with CMake, QMake, and compiler toolchains
• Fluency in Git and collaborative workflows

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage (80% company sponsored)
• Safe Harbor 401(K) with company match
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employer provided life insurance
• Robust Employee Assistant Program (EAP)
• Competitive salary and generous PTO
• On-site gym