Senior Full Stack Engineer – NODA AI

Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid on-site, with up to 20% travel)
Clearance Requirement: U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a security clearance

About NODA

NODA is a veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company that is transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. We are developing next-generation solutions that enable the autonomous orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space with vital applications in the defense, intelligence, and commercial sectors.

Our Full Stack Engineers build the backend services and operator interfaces that enable seamless mission control and coordination across diverse unmanned platforms, bridging complex autonomous systems with human decision-making through robust APIs and responsive web applications.

Joining NODA means working on meaningful technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomy alongside a team that thrives on innovation, rapid iteration, and collaboration.

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Full Stack Engineer to design and build the backend services and operator interfaces that power our autonomous vehicle orchestration platform. You will create mission control applications, real-time data processing systems, and the APIs that connect human operators with autonomous fleets operating across multiple domains.

Your work will focus on building scalable backend services that integrate with ROS2-based autonomous systems, developing robust data pipelines for telemetry processing, and creating responsive web interfaces for mission planning and fleet coordination. This role requires strong C++ skills to work directly with autonomous system middleware and the ability to bridge robotics systems with modern web applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Build scalable backend APIs and microservices using Python and C++ within an event-driven architecture for real-time orchestration operations

• Design and implement event-driven data pipelines that process telemetry, sensor feeds, and mission data from heterogeneous vehicle fleets using publish/subscribe patterns

• Develop responsive operator interfaces using React for mission planning, fleet coordination, and system monitoring

• Create WebSocket-based communications for low-latency operator interactions with autonomous systems

• Build data transformation and aggregation services that prepare autonomous system data for operator consumption

• Implement secure, role-based access controls and authentication systems for multi-user mission control environments

• Design and maintain database schemas and query optimization for high-throughput operational data

• Collaborate with autonomy engineers to integrate vehicle control systems and sensor data streams

• Support integration with diverse autonomous platforms through RESTful APIs, ROS2 topics, and message queuing systems

• Ensure application resilience and performance through comprehensive testing, monitoring, and deployment automation

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional full-stack development experience building production systems

• Strong proficiency in C++ with experience in systems programming and performance optimization

• Expert-level Python skills with experience in FastAPI, Flask, or Django frameworks

• Experience with ROS2 middleware, including topics, services, and distributed robotics systems

• Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript and React with modern development practices

• Strong database design and optimization skills (PostgreSQL, NoSQL)

• Experience building real-time applications using WebSockets, message queuing, and event-driven data streaming

• Knowledge of RESTful API design principles, microservices architecture, and event-driven system patterns

• Understanding of Linux system programming and multi-threaded application development

• U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain a security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• C++ multithreaded systems; GRPC/Protobuf; DB design/tuning

• Experience with robotics middleware beyond ROS2 (DDS, MQTT, or custom protocols)

• Knowledge of autonomous vehicle systems (UAVs, USVs, UUVs) and associated data formats

• Experience with real-time data streaming technologies (Kafka, Redis Streams, ZeroMQ)

• Familiarity with computer vision libraries and sensor data processing (OpenCV, PCL)

• Experience with container technologies (Docker) and cloud deployment (AWS)

• Understanding of networking fundamentals and distributed systems concepts

• Background in mission-critical or real-time system development

• Knowledge of geospatial data handling and coordinate system transformations

• Experience with observability tools (Grafana, Prometheus) and application performance monitoring

• Previous work in defense, aerospace, or autonomous systems industries

Skills & Attributes

• Systems programmer comfortable working across the full stack from low-level C++ to modern web interfaces

• Strong understanding of real-time systems, concurrency, and performance optimization

• Detail-oriented approach to data integrity, system reliability, and security in mission-critical applications

• Collaborative mindset with ability to work effectively across autonomy, AI, and infrastructure teams

• Problem solver skilled at debugging complex distributed systems and integration issues

• Quality-focused with commitment to testing, documentation, and maintainable code practices

Benefits & Perks

Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

• We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans

• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals + Company match

• Equity grants for new hires

• Unlimited PTO

• 11 Paid holidays

• Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in November, & December.

• Generous Parental Leave

• Military Leave for annual training or service requirements

• FSA

• DCFSA

• HSA

• Professional Development Opportunities

• Access to One Medical

• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.

Growth Path at NODA

• Tech Lead, AI-Oriented Full Stack – drive architecture at the intersection of operator-facing systems and AI orchestration.

• Principal Engineer / Orchestration Systems Lead – guide cross-domain software development and AI integration at scale.

Export Control Compliance

To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.

Equal Opportunity Statement

NODA AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace and to maintaining equitable employment and hiring practices. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

As a federal contractor, NODA AI complies with all applicable equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements, including Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), as amended. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities throughout the recruiting, hiring, and employment process.

Consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with applicable fair chance and ban-the-box laws, including the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance where applicable. We actively encourage qualified individuals of all backgrounds, including women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities, to apply.

NODA AI is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and accessible work environment for all applicants and employees. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] or contact your recruiter so we can provide the support you need.

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