Internship Drone Software Engineer Jobs in California

Location: Sunnyvale, California

Compensation: $150,000 - 225,000 USD / year

Applied Intuition is looking for a Software Engineer (Drone Stack Team) to architect and field advanced autonomy and vehicle intelligence systems that bridge hardware and software. In this role, you'll bring autonomy stacks to life on real vehicle platforms, standing up integrations, running SIL and HIL evaluations, and supporting live testing in the field. Strong fundamentals in computer networking and code integration, along with genuine enthusiasm for hands-on robotics work, are essential. You'll partner with teams across the company to ship dependable, scalable capabilities to both defense and commercial customers, owning everything from end-to-end hardware-software integration to troubleshooting and customer-facing demos.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Build and tailor modular, rapidly adaptable autonomy capabilities for a wide range of defense missions, fielding them on embedded Linux and other compute platforms while interfacing with onboard sensors and capturing data
• Work alongside autonomy engineers to marry autonomy software with vehicle hardware — achieving full integration with aircraft autopilots, datalinks, sensor payloads, PNT/GPS/INS, and ground control stations — and to build service-oriented-architecture software and inter-process messaging frameworks for autonomous UAS
• Perform system-level bring-up, test, and validation spanning software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) evaluation, and participate in live flight testing across Group 1–5 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
• Diagnose and resolve challenging software and integration problems to keep systems performant and dependable
• Engage directly with DoD warfighter domain experts and partner with third-party UAS vendors to bring Applied's autonomy software onto OEM aircraft hardware

We're looking for someone who has:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, or a related engineering discipline, plus at least 3 years of hands-on robotics experience spanning hardware, software, and systems integration
• Proficiency in a modern programming language (modern C++ is required), with development experience in Docker, containerized deployments, and Linux distributions such as Ubuntu or RHEL, and comfort with everyday tooling like git, GitLab, and Visual Studio Code
• Hands-on integration of robotics or autonomy products with Pixhawk-family autopilots (ArduPilot and/or PX4), plus working knowledge of common communication buses and protocols: UART/RS232/RS422/RS485, SPI/QSPI, I2C, and Ethernet
• Exposure to real-time, edge, and safety-critical computing in SIL, HIL, test, and operational settings, paired with strong communication skills and a customer-first approach to project delivery
• Ability to travel for on-site integrations and demos (roughly 10–20%); U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain and hold a U.S. security clearance required

Nice to have:

• Modern C++ standards (C++11/17/20), plus Bash and CMake
• An FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
• Familiarity with Agile workflows and CI/CD pipelines
• Hands-on work with COTS compute hardware like NVIDIA Jetson or Raspberry Pi
• An active U.S. SECRET clearance

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Don't meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.

FOR US-BASED ROLES: Applied Intuition is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive application and interview experience to applicants who are disabled veterans and other applicants with disabilities or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations are available, requesting an accommodation will not affect your candidacy in any way, and you are not required to disclose the nature of your disability or medical condition in order to make a request. If you require an accommodation please contact people@applied.co . We will work with you!