Company Overview
Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.
With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders’ successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.
About The Role
We are looking for a Firmware Engineer to own the low-level embedded software that runs our autonomous aircraft in the field. This is a deep individual contributor role for someone with 4+ years of industry experience who can operate at the architecture and design level from day one. You will make real decisions about bare-metal versus RTOS tradeoffs, sensor and peripheral integration, deployment strategies for fielded aircraft, and the HIL testing infrastructure that validates it all. You are expected to document and justify those decisions with the same rigor you apply to the code itself.
What You’ll Do
Own the architecture and implementation of time- and safety-critical embedded firmware on STM32-based platforms; evaluate existing firmware ecosystems and make well-reasoned decisions about what to carry forward versus redesign from scratch.
Write drivers for sensors and peripherals; select and configure communication protocols including CAN, I2C, UART, and Ethernet appropriate to each use case.
Determine and implement deployment strategies for fielded aircraft, including bootloader design and over-the-air or field update approaches.
Set up and maintain hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure; produce thorough design documentation that captures architectural decisions, protocol selections, and tradeoffs clearly enough to stand on their own.
What You’ll Need
4+ years of industry experience in embedded firmware development; fluency in C and C++ is required.
Deep understanding of bare-metal and RTOS embedded architectures; strong working knowledge of embedded communication protocols including CAN, I2C, UART, and Ethernet and the ability to select the right tool for each application.
Solid experience with bootloader design and firmware deployment for fielded systems; experience setting up hardware-in-the-loop testing environments.
High standards for code quality and correctness; demonstrated ability to document and justify architectural decisions clearly and concisely so that design rationale is durable and legible to others.
You’ll Stand Out
Background in aerospace, defense, or aviation; prior experience with HIL testing of aircraft or flight control systems specifically.
Hands-on experience with STM32 microcontrollers and associated toolchains.
Experience with safety-critical or DO-178C certified software development practices.
Exposure to autonomous systems, robotics, or UAS platforms at the firmware level.
What We Offer
Competitive salary
ACS Equity Package
Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
Paid Time Off
Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. #LI-AS1
Skills Required
- 4+ years of industry experience in embedded firmware development
- Fluency in C and C++
- Experience developing firmware for STM32-based platforms
- Deep understanding of bare-metal and RTOS embedded architectures
- Working knowledge of embedded communication protocols including CAN, I2C, UART, and Ethernet
- Experience with bootloader design and firmware deployment for fielded systems (OTA/field updates)
- Experience setting up and maintaining hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environments
- Strong documentation skills and ability to justify architectural decisions clearly
- Background in aerospace, defense, or aviation
- Hands-on experience with STM32 toolchains and tooling
- Experience with safety-critical or DO-178C certified software development practices
- Exposure to autonomous systems, robotics, or UAS firmware
Allen Control Systems Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Health, dental, and vision coverage are consistently listed as employer‑provided across current role descriptions, indicating a solid core healthcare offering. This aligns with the startup‑standard package the company advertises.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is explicitly advertised alongside core health benefits in multiple postings. While accrual details aren’t shown publicly, its consistent inclusion signals baseline time‑off coverage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — An “ACS Equity Package” is repeatedly called out in job descriptions, suggesting equity grants are a standard component of total compensation. Visibility of equity across roles points to broad access to ownership upside, with specifics to be confirmed.
Allen Control Systems Insights
What We Do
Allen Control Systems is a defense technology company for a new era of drone warfare and to completely change battlefield economics. ACS is developing counter-drone robotic gun systems targeted at neutralizing attacking drone swarms, drones that are pre-programmed with AI, and drones that are non-jammable. ACS was created to lower the cost per kill of a drone to a few dollars. We do this by combining cutting-edge hardware and software that allows us to point an inexpensive gun that already exists in the field more accurately than anyone ever has before. ACS is a remote organization, with our HQ in Austin, Texas, and an office in Alexandria, Va. If you're passionate about our mission, we’d love to hear from you.
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