Top C++ Jobs in Washington, DC

Software Engineer Interns design, build, test, and debug production-quality software for autonomous systems. Projects may involve applications, embedded flight software, firmware, machine learning, simulation, APIs, data pipelines, or cloud infrastructure. Interns analyze requirements, collaborate with engineers using Agile practices, and deliver real features or capabilities during a 10–12 week paid internship.

Develop future concepts and mission-oriented use cases for Hivemind autonomous systems across air, space, land, and maritime domains. Translate customer needs and technology trends into concept studies, models, analyses, white papers, proposals, and technical briefings. Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Architecture, and go-to-market teams, monitor aerospace and defense developments, and support customer engagements through travel and presentations.

Design, build, and operate Cloudflare’s globally distributed cache and reverse-proxy data plane. Responsibilities include improving Pingora-based asynchronous systems, cache performance and correctness, purge and Tiered Cache services, APIs, observability, reliability, and production operations. The role owns features end to end, including design, implementation, testing, staged rollouts, incident response, and cross-team collaboration.

Design and maintain C++ and Python software for complex cross-platform systems. Develop APIs, messaging interfaces, CI/CD workflows, and automated tests while integrating distributed real-time systems, simulation tools, and third-party hardware and software. Debug system-level issues involving threading, timing, and data flow, contribute to architecture, and collaborate across teams. The role requires active Secret clearance and supports potential progression to TS/SCI clearance.

Lead development and technical delivery of maritime autonomy capabilities for USVs, UUVs, and cooperating UAVs. Design motion planning, localization, tracking, safety assurance, COLREGS-compliant behaviors, and heterogeneous multi-agent collaboration. Build high-performance, well-tested software, integrate it onto real platforms, support deployment and demonstrations, analyze mission logs, and contribute to R&D roadmaps. Collaborate across perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and operational test teams while helping customers define requirements and technical approaches.

Lead technical direction for maritime autonomy capabilities across multiple programs. Develop motion planning, localization, tracking, safe maritime behaviors, COLREGS-compliant operations, and heterogeneous multi-agent collaboration for USVs, UUVs, and UAVs. Build and integrate high-performance, rigorously tested software; support deployment, vehicle testing, demonstrations, and mission-log analysis. Mentor engineers, guide architecture and roadmaps, research new algorithms, and collaborate across perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and operational test teams. Travel is typically about 25%.

Develop and deploy autonomy software for unmanned surface, underwater, and aerial vehicles in maritime missions. Responsibilities include motion planning, localization and tracking, safety assurance, COLREGS adherence, multi-agent coordination, distributed optimization, rigorous software testing, platform integration, deployment support, mission-log analysis, and autonomy R&D. The role also involves cross-functional collaboration, customer and demonstration support, roadmap development, and mentoring junior engineers. Travel is typically approximately 25% annually.

Work on end-to-end customer projects as a Forward Deployed Software Engineer intern: design and implement data-driven solutions, build web apps, wrangle large-scale data, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and travel to client sites. Interns own real-world deliverables and operate with autonomy and mentorship in fast-moving environments.

Lead and grow a small autonomy engineering team to design, integrate, validate, and field autonomy software for launched effects. Own delivery, hiring, mentoring, technical direction, ICDs, pre-deployment validation, live test support, hardware/software debugging, and cross-team collaboration for multi-agent and air-gapped fleet deployments.

Design, develop, and maintain ground control and mission-planning software for the X-BAT platform. Build full-stack, low-latency, fault-tolerant systems for telemetry fusion, operator UIs (React/TypeScript), communication interfaces, and integrations with autonomy and flight teams. Lead feature development, write well-tested code, and collaborate across embedded, UX, and flight-test teams to deliver field-ready solutions.

Develop and test autonomy behaviors for unmanned systems using production C++. Implement features for behavior, coordination, motion planning, and survivability. Participate in full software lifecycle, integrate with sensors/actuators, support simulation and real-world testing, collaborate cross-functionally, and travel up to 20% to support integration and testing. Must be eligible for a U.S. Secret clearance.

Develop, integrate, and field autonomy software for unmanned platforms; lead a small technical team through design-to-deployment; author ICDs; perform hardware/software debugging, system bring-up, simulation testing, and mission support; mentor engineers and coordinate with internal teams and external integrators. Travel ~10-20%.

Integrate and deploy autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, prepare flight-ready systems, support on-site flight tests, debug hardware/software issues, collect and analyze flight data, collaborate across autonomy, GNC, and test teams, and support certification, compliance, and process improvements.

Design, develop, and field high-performance Ground Control Station and C2 software using C++/Qt/QML and QGroundControl. Lead architecture and technical direction, mentor engineers, define APIs/ICDs, debug integration/latency issues, support field tests, implement post-mission debrief tools, and ensure interoperability with C2 standards.

Lead and manage a perception engineering team developing production-quality C++ perception and state-estimation software (A-PNT) for GNSS-degraded environments. Integrate and test sensor fusion, computer vision, and estimator frameworks on aerial platforms, validate with simulation and real data, and collaborate with hardware, test, and cross-functional teams.

Lead simulation-driven testing and automation for autonomy software: develop automated regression/integration/system tests, build and maintain simulation-based test frameworks and tools (SIL/HIL/VIL), diagnose issues with developers, scale simulation infrastructure, create test plans, and integrate test coverage into CI/CD pipelines using Python.

Lead design, integration, and fielding of autonomy software on unmanned platforms. Develop mission behaviors, platform control, multi-agent coordination, and deployment pipelines; own validation from simulation to live tests. Drive technical strategy, cross-team architecture, standards compliance, mentor senior engineers, and support on-site test/mission operations and hardware/software debugging.

Lead design and implementation of tactical autonomy behaviors for unmanned platforms. Develop, test, and deploy multi-agent coordination, motion/behavior planning, and survivability features across vehicles while owning end-to-end system lifecycle and collaborating with integration teams and end users.

Lead systems engineering for Hivemind-based autonomy products: define and manage requirements, develop system architectures and trade studies, coordinate hardware/software interfaces, support integration/verification/validation and testing, and identify and mitigate technical risks across the system lifecycle.

Lead design and prototyping of generative AI experiences for autonomy development; drive UX for Hivemind products; perform user research, collaborate with CTO and product leads, and deliver reference implementations and integrations across full-stack web and edge systems.

Integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, prepare and validate flight-ready systems, support on-site flight tests, debug hardware/software integration, capture and analyze flight data, collaborate with autonomy/GNC/systems teams, improve integration processes, and assist with certification and compliance. Travel ~30-40% for tests and field events.

Develop, integrate, and field autonomy software on unmanned platforms; own end-to-end integration from simulation to live tests; debug embedded/latency-sensitive systems; support on-site flight/sea/space tests; ensure C2 interoperability and improve deployment/test tooling and processes.

Design, implement, and own tactical autonomy behaviors for unmanned platforms. Develop and test multi-agent coordination, motion and behavior planning, target engagement, and survivability features. Work across the software lifecycle, integrate with sensor, estimation, communications, and control systems, contribute to shared frameworks, and support platform integration and testing (travel up to 20%).

Integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, prepare and validate flight-ready systems, support on-site flight tests, debug hardware/software interactions, capture and analyze flight data, collaborate with autonomy/GNC/systems teams, and support certification and compliance. Frequent travel (~30-40%) for field tests.

Develop and maintain Python-based analytics, automated test orchestration, and scenario-generation pipelines for autonomy simulation. Build adapters in C++/Python, analyze logs/rosbags, deploy distributed orchestration with Terraform/Kubernetes, and create telemetry ingestion and reporting frameworks to validate AI Pilot behaviors across secure and commercial environments.