Top Senior C++ Jobs in Washington, DC

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 architecture and implementation of high-performance C++ and Python systems, integrate distributed systems and hardware/software, manage CI/CD pipelines, debug and optimize real-time multi-threaded systems, guide end-to-end integration and verification, mentor engineers, and evaluate new technologies to improve system performance.

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%.

Design, implement, and maintain C++ and Python software for cross-platform, distributed real-time systems. Contribute to system architecture, APIs/messaging (gRPC/REST/ZeroMQ), CI/CD, automated testing, and integration of third-party simulation and hardware. Debug threading/timing issues and improve development workflows.

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.

Design and implement full‑stack, low‑latency web-based Ground Control Station and C2 systems (map-centric UIs, real-time telemetry, video streaming), lead architecture and APIs, mentor engineers, support field tests and mission deployments, and ensure interoperability with C2 standards.

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, 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%).

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 and implement tactical autonomy algorithms and high-performance software for unmanned air/land/sea platforms. Build behavior architectures, integrate classical and learning-based methods, run simulations and field tests, analyze mission data, and support defense programs and deployments.

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.

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.

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.

Lead and grow a team of autonomy engineers to stand up autonomy on novel platforms (space, maritime, rotorcraft), own delivery from design through fielding, write and integrate latency-sensitive autonomy code, coordinate with platform and cross-functional teams, support live tests and deployments, and evolve R&D efforts into longer-term programs.

Lead design, development, integration, and validation of complex ground-system software. Define software architecture, derive and trace software requirements, participate in system reviews, collaborate with hardware/network/test teams, and support customer-facing technical deliverables.

Lead and grow a 5–10 engineer autonomy integration team for V-BAT/X-BAT, owning delivery, hiring, mentoring, and technical health. Drive integration of autonomy software (mission behaviors, VTOL transitions, multi-agent coordination), collaborate tightly with aircraft, perception, and capability teams, run ICDs and field tests, and support live exercises and deployments (20–30% travel).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lead software development and innovation efforts, mentor teams, manage projects and client relationships, and implement software solutions that drive digital transformation.

Serve as the technical lead modernizing mission-critical defense software: deploy and extend agentic modernization platforms, analyze large codebases, design scalable architectures, ensure RMF/NIST-compliant deployments, and deliver production-ready solutions in classified environments.

Lead architecture and implementation of high-performance C++ and Python systems, integrate distributed systems and simulation tools, own CI/CD pipelines, debug real-time multi-threaded systems, mentor engineers, and drive end-to-end integration across simulation and operational platforms.

Lead architecture and implementation of high-performance C++ and Python systems, integrate distributed and real-time systems, own CI/CD and build tooling, debug multi-threaded systems, guide cross-team integration and mentor engineers, and evaluate new technologies to improve simulation and autonomy platforms.

Lead design and integration of high-performance C++ and Python systems across distributed, real-time environments. Own CI/CD, containerization, build tooling, messaging/APIs, and debugging. Drive end-to-end integration, mentor engineers, set technical direction, and evaluate technologies to improve system performance and stability in autonomy and simulation domains.