XTEND Tampa is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer to support the development, integration, and production of autonomous drone systems.
This role focuses on hands-on embedded software and firmware development for tactical UAS platforms, including low-level driver development, hardware/software integration, communication interfaces, and embedded system debugging. The engineer will work closely with electrical, mechanical, software, and production teams to ensure reliable, manufacturable, and field-ready drone systems.
Main Responsibilities
Embedded Software & Firmware Development
- Develop, maintain, and improve embedded software and firmware for autonomous drone systems using C, with occasional support using C++ and Python.
Hardware / Software Integration
- Work directly with hardware components, embedded processors, co-processors, sensors, payload interfaces, and peripheral devices to ensure reliable system-level integration.
Low-Level Driver Development
- Develop and support low-level drivers and communication interfaces, including I2C, UART, SPI, GPIO, and other embedded hardware protocols.
Microcontroller Development
- Support embedded development on STM ARM microcontroller-based platforms, including firmware implementation, debugging, and hardware bring-up.
System Integration Support
- Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, software, and production teams during prototype development, system integration, and production troubleshooting.
Debugging & Troubleshooting
- Troubleshoot firmware, hardware, PCB, and interface-level issues using engineering tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, debuggers, and schematics.
Core Operating System Support
- Contribute to the development and refinement of XTEND’s embedded software architecture and core operating environment for drone and payload systems.
Testing & Validation
- Support bench testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, system integration testing, and field validation of embedded systems.
Documentation
- Develop and maintain embedded software documentation, interface descriptions, test procedures, troubleshooting guides, and integration notes.
Education - B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical discipline.
Experience - 3+ years of hands-on experience in embedded software or firmware development.
Embedded Programming - Strong experience developing embedded software in C.
Hardware Integration - Experience debugging and integrating software directly on hardware platforms.
Communication Protocols - Experience implementing or troubleshooting embedded communication protocols such as I2C, UART, SPI, GPIO, or similar interfaces.
Microcontrollers - Experience working with STM ARM microcontrollers or similar embedded processor platforms.
Debugging Tools - Proficiency using oscilloscopes and other bench-level debugging tools to troubleshoot embedded systems, PCBs, and hardware interfaces.
Schematics & Board-Level Understanding - Ability to read schematics, understand board-level design intent, and support hardware/software troubleshooting.
Hands-On Engineering - Comfortable working directly with hardware, prototypes, production systems, and fielded equipment.
Team Collaboration - Strong communication skills with the ability to work across embedded software, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, production, and field support teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with C++ and/or Python.
- Experience with Linux kernel development or embedded Linux environments.
- Familiarity with ROS2.
- Experience using Git or similar software configuration management tools.
- Experience with drone systems, robotics, autonomous systems, aerospace systems, or defense-related products.
- Experience supporting prototype builds, production environments, or fielded hardware systems.
- Familiarity with real-time systems, sensor integration, payload control, or communication modules.
Skills Required
- B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in embedded software or firmware development
- Strong experience developing embedded software in C
- Experience debugging and integrating software directly on hardware platforms
- Experience implementing or troubleshooting embedded communication protocols
- Experience working with STM ARM microcontrollers or similar embedded processor platforms
- Proficiency using oscilloscopes and other bench-level debugging tools
- Ability to read schematics and understand board-level design intent
- Comfortable working directly with hardware, prototypes, production systems, and fielded equipment
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work across teams
What We Do
XTEND provides revolutionary human-guided autonomous machine systems that enable any operator to perform extremely accurate maneuvers and actions, in any environment with minimal training. The company's patented XOS operating system fuses the best of human intelligence and machine autonomy to enhance the operator's abilities, and simultaneously reduce the need for physical confrontation, thereby minimizing casualties and injuries. Hundreds of XTEND's systems are already operationally deployed worldwide, and the company is continuously developing its XOS operating system and platforms to deliver the future of human-machine teaming to defense, public safety, and security professionals worldwide.
