Software Integration Engineer - C2 Systems

About Forterra
At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance.

Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives at risk. Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments.

About the role

Forterra is seeking a C2 Software Integration Engineer to own the command-and-control workflow that connects our autonomy stack to the operators who use it in the field. This is a full-stack integration role that spans the layers of that workflow: the autonomy stack, the middleware that moves data between systems, and the operator control unit (OCU) that operators use to command and monitor vehicles. Your job is to make command and control work end to end — from a command defined on a vehicle, through the middleware and the network, to the action an operator takes at the OCU — and to keep it working in real-world deployments.

We are in the middle of transitioning from our legacy OCU to a next-generation replacement. You will help bring the new interface online while keeping the legacy one running for the programs that still depend on it, and help carry those workflows across as the fleet transitions.

You will not be a middleware engineer or a front-end engineer. You will be the integrator who ties those layers together: fielding, debugging, supporting, and owning the success of this full-stack C2 workflow for programs. You will directly support real-world missions across our fleet of ground vehicles operated by our national security customers around the world.

The ideal candidate picks up unfamiliar codebases quickly, is a self-starter who does not wait to be handed scope, and is eager to leave a visible impact on how our systems are commanded and controlled. You are comfortable being the person who follows a problem across multiple systems and the network between them until it is resolved.

What you'll do

• Own command and control end to end. Take a command from its definition on the vehicle, through the middleware and the network, to its representation at the OCU — and be accountable for the whole path working.
• Define and evolve the contracts between systems. Add and extend the message contracts that describe vehicle state, tasks, and commands, and carry them through to every system that produces or consumes them.
• Own the bridge between autonomy and middleware. Extend the integration layer that translates between the autonomy stack and the middleware — publishing what the vehicle knows (telemetry, autonomy state, Number of headcount you want to hire? 1 1 route and convoy state, zones) and turning operator commands into vehicle behavior (waypoint driving, route planning, convoy, teleop) while reporting status back.
• Frame command and control through the interface. Partner on the operator-facing interface to expose new commands and vehicle behaviors to operators in a usable way. You do not need to arrive as a frontend expert, but you must be willing to learn how command and control is framed through user interfaces and to contribute across that boundary.
• Support the outgoing interface. Keep the legacy OCU working for the programs that still rely on it, and help migrate those workflows onto the new interface as the fleet transitions. Field, debug, and support. Deploy the C2 workflow onto customer-bound hardware, validate it under real conditions, and drive issues to root cause across the autonomy stack, the middleware, and the network — including debugging behavior over constrained and unreliable links.
• Close the loop from test to deploy. Analyze test and field results, identify failures across the stack, and collaborate with the autonomy, middleware, interface, and networking teams to resolve them.
• Connect program needs to execution. Translate program and end-user requirements into delivered C2 capabilities, and be the integration point of contact who makes the full workflow succeed for a program.
• Leverage agentic AI. Use agentic AI tooling as a first-class part of how you navigate large codebases, prototype, and ship.
• Travel. 10–50% depending on candidate preference and role placement. Ability to commute to Clarksburg, MD as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in computer science, engineering, robotics, or related field, or relevant experience / show of skill.
• Experience with publish/subscribe or message-oriented middleware.
• Comfortable with — or able to quickly pick up — message schema / interface-definition formats and code generation.
• Willingness to learn how command and control is framed through user interfaces, and to contribute across the full stack rather than staying in one layer.
• Demonstrated ability to pick up unfamiliar codebases quickly and operate as a self-starter Core software engineering skills: software design, unit testing, debugging.
• Proficiency with the Linux command line and comfort working within a Linux development and deployment environment
• A willingness to work with agentic AI to accomplish your goals.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain behavior across system boundaries clearly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in C++
• Experience building usable, full-stack web applications, including:
• • React, Vue, Svelte, or alternative
  • TypeScript, or alternative
  • Next.js, Remix, Nuxt, or alternative
  • Node.js, NestJS, or alternative
  • RESTful APIs, GraphQL, or alternative
• Networking experience, including UDP/TCP, unicast/broadcast/multicast, routing, and general networking fundamentals, with hands-on network debugging, ideally over constrained or unreliable links
• Experience integrating software on hardware products
• Experience with robotics or autonomous systems
• Familiarity with real-time or near-real-time systems
• Background in defense, automotive, robotics, or safety-critical software

US Salary Range
 $120,000—$200,000

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.  
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption. 
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires. 
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY - This position may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: click here.   

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in all personnel practices. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain.  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran and disability status, and criminal history, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Forterra is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.

To see Forterra’s candidate data privacy policy, please visit Forterra Legal | Job Applicant Privacy Notice.