Software Engineer - Defense R&D

Onsite in Panama City, FL with a competitive $80,000 - $110,000 per year and a comprehensive benefits package. DS2 invites you to join a collaborative defense R&D environment where engineers contribute to agile, mission-critical software for unmanned systems. You’ll work across design, development, AI/ML, sensor integration, and field prototypes, within a culture that values hands-on problem solving, continuous learning, and meaningful impact on defense capabilities.

Overview

You will be part of a dedicated squad delivering software for unmanned platforms, operating within an agile framework to design, implement, deploy, and demonstrate applications that matter in the field.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate within an agile team to organize, manage, and complete product work.
• Contribute to the design, development, deployment, and demonstration of applications.
• Test, develop, perform peer reviews, and continuously integrate changes into the codebase.
• Integrate sensors and unmanned platforms (UAS/UGV) for damage-detection tasks.
• Build and maintain Windows desktop applications using WPF with MVVM patterns.
• Develop and deploy Android applications using Kotlin or Java.
• Construct distributed, mission-critical applications deployed as containers.
• Develop AI/ML models for robotic perception, damage assessment, and autonomy.
• Design perception pipelines to identify and classify UXO, debris, and surface damage.
• Conduct research, report findings, and create prototypes for R&D initiatives.
• Support fieldable prototypes to deliver rapid capability to Warfighters.
• Execute manual or automated sUAS flights with safety oversight and weather awareness.
• Operate sensors, cameras, or LiDAR to collect high-quality imagery and aerial data.
• Run software tests and evaluations for robotics applications while interfacing with hardware.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in an engineering discipline, computer science, or equivalent, with at least 5 years of RDT&E experience since graduation.
• Direct experience with unmanned or autonomous systems, sensor/payload integration, or software/hardware integration is required.
• Proven ability to author technical papers and execute RDT&E activities independently.
• Active programming experience in one or more of these languages: C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, or Python.
• Experience integrating hardware components (sensors, actuators, controllers) with software applications.
• Provide ongoing support and troubleshooting for integrated systems to ensure mission continuity.
• Strong time-management skills and the ability to prioritize to meet deadlines.
• Effective collaboration, both virtually and in person, with the ability to present solutions to clients.
• U.S. Citizen able to complete a U.S. government background investigation.

Technologies

• WPF, MVVM
• Kotlin, Java, C, C++, C#, JavaScript, Python
• Android, SQL
• Microservices, containers
• TAK, ATAK, WinTAK
• Git, GitHub, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, Atlassian
• sUAS, LiDAR

Benefits

• Flexible work schedule
• Educational opportunities including tuition reimbursement
• Student loan repayment and certification reimbursement plus bonuses
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, including short-term and long-term disability, and AD&D
• Generous paid time off and holidays
• 401(k) with company matching up to 4%
• Support for community and volunteer events such as beach cleanups and 5Ks