Software Engineer, Systems

About the Role

Our product spans the entire software stack, from the embedded controls running on rugged hardware, through the networking and data plumbing in between, up to the databases and cloud systems that store and make sense of it all. We're looking for a true generalist who is comfortable everywhere on that spectrum: someone who can follow a piece of data from a sensor on the hardware all the way to a dashboard, and write code at every stop along the way. Your core competency is systems programming (C, C++, Rust), but you've had real exposure to the higher layers; services, databases, and cloud deployments.

You'll be the connective tissue across our stack, taking on the high-leverage work that falls between specialized roles and keeps the whole system moving. A hardware sensibility matters here. This is software on physical hardware enabling higher-level capability, and we want someone energized by that full picture. Our team comes from Tesla, Anduril, Apple, Archer, and the U.S. military, and we're already fielded across DoD. This is a high-ownership, high-autonomy role for an engineer who'd rather see the whole product than live in one lane.

Key Responsibilities

• Work across the stack: Move fluidly between low-level embedded work and higher-level services, picking up whatever layer needs attention rather than staying confined to one.
• Bridge hardware and cloud: Build the pipelines that carry telemetry off our devices, through intermittently connected networks, and into databases and cloud environments where it can be stored, monitored, and analyzed.
• Build the higher layers: Stand up and maintain the back-end services, databases, and cloud infrastructure that turn raw device data into something useful.
• Apply systems programming where it counts: Bring low-level expertise to the places where performance and direct hardware interaction matter.
• Fill the gaps: Own the pieces that fall between specialized roles - often where products stall - and keep the system end-to-end coherent.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work across firmware, embedded Linux, manufacturing, and product to connect the layers and unblock the team wherever the work demands it.

What We're Looking For

• Top-notch engineering intuition and first principles thinking toward designing complex products that function seamlessly for your customer, taking both an engineering/ technical, and product/ customer approach, to strike the optimal balance.
• Able to independently identify critical information or priority gaps and apply effort toward closing those gaps.
• Undaunted by imperfect, incomplete or absent datasets or information, and capable of making sound, comprehensive, and swift first-principled decisions to achieve a product end-state that meets and/or exceeds the need of the hour.
• Not satisfied by superficial explanations of a problem or "band-aid engineering"; seeks persistently to find the specific root cause through data-driven methods, and resolve failures or recurring issues, so they can be mitigated to prevent future such instances.
• Gratified by helping your peers succeed, building a robust team culture, and propagation deep camaraderie amongst your peers; seeks to break down information silos by collaborating rigorously with others to solve problems, share knowledge, and provide input.

Qualifications

Required

• BS in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, or equivalent demonstrated experience.
• 3+ years building software across multiple layers of the stack.
• Strong systems programming experience (C/C++/Rust).
• Demonstrated experience moving data from embedded devices up to cloud or backend systems.
• A track record of shipping at more than one layer, from hardware-adjacent code to services and databases.

Preferred

• Deep experience with cloud infrastructure, databases, or backend services at scale.
• Hands-on embedded or hardware background.
• Comfort owning ambiguous, cross-cutting problems end-to-end.
• Background in automotive, aerospace, defense, robotics, or energy.

Role Requirements

• This position is an onsite role based in Chariot Defense's San Bruno, CA, office.
• Willingness to support 10% travel, domestically and internationally, as well as work extended and weekend hours, when necessary.

Pay and benefits

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $130,000-$180,000 annually. Compensation packages also include early-stage equity and access to company-sponsored benefit plans.

Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem solve within our organization, among other factors.

Any unsolicited resumes/candidate profiles submitted through our website or to personal email accounts of employees of Chariot Defense are considered property of Chariot Defense and are not subject to payment of agency fees.