Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.
The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.
About the Role
Most software engineers never see their code tested against reality. At Swarm Aero, that's the baseline.
We are looking for a Forward Deployed Software Engineer to embed directly with U.S. government and military customers and own the technical success of our C2 systems in the field. You will be the person who makes our software work -- not in a lab, not in a staging environment, but in real operational contexts across domestic and international deployments. Austere locations, high-stakes timelines, and complex distributed systems are the job.
This is a full-scope engineering role. You will build critical integrations, debug core services, contribute to new development, and ship solutions that warfighters and government operators depend on. If you want to write code that matters and see it run in environments most engineers never touch, this is the role.
What You'll Do
Build and own critical software integrations that bring our C2 systems to life in customer environments -- from initial deployment through production reliability across diverse hardware configurations and operational contexts
Debug complex distributed systems issues in the field, analyzing logs, network traffic, and system performance to resolve failures fast and with minimal support
Contribute to core service development alongside the engineering team, bringing field insight back into the product and shipping improvements that make a direct operational difference
Write code daily across the full stack -- solving customer-specific integration challenges, contributing to core service development, and building monitoring and reliability solutions that hold up in the field
Support continuous operational environments, including non-standard hours, on-call response, and rotational coverage aligned to mission tempo
Travel domestically and internationally (up to 60%) to test sites and customer locations -- deploying software, troubleshooting issues in the field, and feeding hard-won requirements back to engineering
Collaborate with U.S. military and government program offices on-site and remotely, translating complex operational requirements into software solutions
This Role Is For You If
You want to see your code run in high-stakes, real-world environments -- not just pass CI
You thrive on solving hard integration and deployment challenges independently, without a safety net
You're comfortable being the most technical person in the room in dynamic, unpredictable field conditions
You adapt to shifting schedules and operational demands without losing rigor or precision
This Role Is NOT
A pilot position or flight test engineer role
Primarily hands-on hardware work (electronics, wiring, mechanical assembly)
A traditional SRE or DevOps role with predictable hours and controlled environments
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field
3+ years of professional software engineering experience, or equivalent demonstrated ability
Strong proficiency in at least one major programming language (Python, C/C++, Golang, or Java)
Solid understanding of networking fundamentals: NAT, DNS/mDNS, UDP/TCP protocols, multicast, and firewall configuration
Experience with Linux system administration and shell scripting
Proven debugging skills across complex software systems -- you know how to read logs, use debuggers, and trace issues systematically
Excellent communication skills for engaging with U.S. government and military customers and internal engineering teams
Willingness and ability to travel 60% of the time, both domestically and internationally, including to remote or restricted-access locations
Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance. Active Secret clearance preferred but not required.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure-as-code
Background in distributed systems, real-time systems, or robotics software
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation
Experience in customer-facing engineering or technical sales engineering roles
Prior defense, intelligence community, or aerospace software experience
Comfort operating in non-permissive or resource-constrained environments
ITAR requirement
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant 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 eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Swarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.
What We Offer
Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company
Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
Medical, dental, vision, and 401k
PTO and paid sick leave
Monthly wellness stipend
Daily catered lunch (office)
Paid parental leave
Direct impact on a critical national security mission
A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems