Software Engineer - Robotics & Autonomy

Onsite Software Engineer IV at Nokturnal AI, you will help shape autonomy for real-world robotic platforms through perception, localization, and navigation capabilities. Based in Clearwater, FL, this role collaborates closely with hardware, systems, and program leadership to advance autonomous software from development through deployment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy autonomy pipelines across perception, localization, and navigation for robotic platforms
• Design and implement real-time perception capabilities such as object detection, tracking, and obstacle avoidance
• Build and optimize state estimation and navigation algorithms including visual odometry, VIO, and SLAM
• Integrate software with robotic systems, including flight controllers and autonomy stacks (PX4, ArduPilot)
• Deploy and optimize algorithms on embedded systems (Jetson, GPU-enabled platforms) with focus on performance and reliability
• Fuse data from multiple sensors including cameras, IMUs, GPS, and other onboard systems to improve robustness
• Support system integration, testing, and validation in lab, ground, and field environments
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues during development and deployment, working closely with engineering and production teams

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 5–10+ years of experience in robotics, autonomy, or real-time embedded systems
• Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python
• Experience deploying software onto real robotic or embedded systems
• Strong understanding of robotics systems including perception, state estimation, and control integration
• Experience with ROS/ROS2 and common robotics frameworks
• Familiarity with computer vision and machine learning tools such as OpenCV, PyTorch, or TensorFlow
• Experience supporting DoD or federal government programs
• Familiarity with MAVLink, PX4, ArduPilot, or similar flight stacks
• Experience with simulation environments (Gazebo, MATLAB, etc.)
• Knowledge of software development lifecycle in regulated environments
• Active or ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance

Technologies

• C++, Python, ROS, ROS2
• OpenCV, PyTorch, TensorFlow
• PX4, ArduPilot, Gazebo, MATLAB
• MAVLink, NVIDIA Jetson, CUDA, TensorRT

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage fully paid by the employer
• Paid vacation accrual starts on day one, with 3 weeks per year for years 1–3, 4 weeks after year 4, and 5 weeks after year 8, with a 6-week rollover cap
• Automatic company contribution to 401K – 5% of earned wages, no matching required
• Educational assistance and professional development opportunities
• 401(k)
• 401(k) 5% Match
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Compensation

• Salary range: $150,000 - $217,723 per year