Autonomy Software Engineer

About TILT

TILT Autonomy builds autonomy hardware and software for uncrewed systems — flight management control systems for aircraft and for surface vessels. We're a focused, technical team, and most of us come from engineering or defense backgrounds.

We're growing, and we need another engineer who can take a hard problem and drive it to a working result.

The Role

You'll write autonomy software that runs on aircraft and vessels. Embedded and real-time code that is close to the hardware, control and estimation logic that makes an aircraft or a boat do the right thing, and the tools around it.

Because we're a small team, you'll touch a wide surface. One week is firmware and sensor integration; the next is a control loop, a ground-station feature, or a build tool that makes everyone faster.

What You'll Own

• Write and test embedded / real-time software for flight and vessel platforms
• Build and tune control, guidance, and state-estimation logic, validated in sim and on hardware
• Integrate sensors, actuators, and comms — reason about timing, and diagnose issues at the hardware boundary
• Improve the tooling and infrastructure the team builds on — ground software, test rigs, data pipelines, internal tools
• Take a fuzzy directive and carry it to a working, tested result without waiting to be told the next step

What We're Looking For

Must have:

• Strong C++ and/or C, and the judgment to write software that holds up under demanding conditions
• Comfort on embedded, real-time, or Linux targets
• Solid grasp of sensors, timing, and working at the hardware boundary
• Git-fluent, and able to work independently in a small team with shifting priorities
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency

Strongly preferred:

• Flight-stack experience — PX4, ArduPilot or MAVLink
• Controls, state estimation, or GNC fundamentals (Kalman filtering, PID, simulation)
• Python for tooling and analysis
• Experience taking code onto vehicles or other hardware

Nice to have:

• UAV, marine, or other uncrewed-systems domain experience
• DDS or other comms/telemetry work
• Full-stack ability for internal tools and dashboards
• Active security clearance

We care more about what you can build than where you learned it. No specific degree is required, and the pay band spans mid-level through senior — we'll match the offer to the person.

Why TILT

• Do interesting work. Small team, hard problems, autonomy that ships.
• Ownership. You'll have meaningful influence over what we build and how, and see your code run on hardware.
• Sustainable pace. We work hard and build for the long haul.
• Benefits. ICHRA health benefit, 401(k), and paid time off.

Pay: $90,000.00 - $180,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Annapolis, MD 21401