DevOps Engineer - Flight Software

About the role

The DevOps Engineer - Flight Software owns the end to end pipelines that move configuration changes from a developer's terminal to the test article on the range floor. This role is responsible for designing intake procedures that capture configuration requests and route them through version control to ensure full traceability and auditability. Decisions made in this position directly influence prototype iteration speed and the cadence at which new aircraft configurations appear on the test range for validation. The engineer partners closely with control code developers while ensuring that test environments remain stable, reproducible, and prepared for immediate modification at a moment's notice. You will enable rapid experimentation by removing infrastructure friction from the aircraft development cycle and by automating the movement of software through increasingly complex environments. The position demands rigorous examination of change sets, including system logs and telemetry formats, before any artifact progresses toward critical systems. Core function is to build the pipelines that automate environment setup, thereby reducing manual steps when new avionics configurations emerge and supporting faster learning loops.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design intake procedures that capture configuration requests and route them through version control to ensure full traceability.
• Establish build routines that compile firmware, validate cryptographic signatures, and produce artifacts ready for deployment on ground and flight computers.
• Conduct thorough reviews of change sets, examining system logs and telemetry formats before any artifact progresses to critical systems.
• Coordinate shipping activities, ensuring images and test data move safely across staging zones and onto target hardware without incident.
• Forge partnerships with test teams to align environments, schedules, and interfaces so that experiments proceed on schedule.
• Create pipelines that automate environment setup, reducing manual steps when new avionics configurations emerge.
• Implement monitoring for deployment health, surfacing timing anomalies and communication faults during early flight phases.
• Guide documentation practices so procedures remain clear, enabling different engineers to maintain workflows with minimal risk.
• Operate within the outlined compensation structure and location parameters while supporting the company mission.
• Support the reclaiming of the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build fast and powerful aircraft on relevant timelines.
• Contribute to teams that design and test high-speed systems, giving the nation and its allies clear advantage in the sky.
• Help deter global threats through disciplined engineering, repeatable experimentation, and reliable execution in a safety-conscious environment.
• Refine designs and validate performance, turning ideas into flying hardware quickly and safely through reliable infrastructure.
• Maintain readiness of test environments so that aircraft configurations can be validated efficiently and without disruption.

Requirements

• Bring three years of professional experience in roles involving infrastructure, scripting, and operational ownership.
• Demonstrate understanding of containerization concepts and hands-on experience with orchestration tools in at least one production setting.
• Show familiarity with version control workflows, including branching strategies and merge practices for critical codebases.
• Exhibit knowledge of Linux administration fundamentals, including process management, networking, and secure access patterns.
• Possess experience writing shell scripts and at least one high-level language to automate tasks and integrate services.
• Show understanding of avionics networking, including network protocols used in avionics such as ARINC 429 and SpaceWire, and their implications for logging and monitoring.
• Display comfort working in command-line environments, editing files, and running tests without graphical interfaces.
• Meet the bar set by the role, aligning with the required qualifications and practical information provided in the job description.

Nice to have

• Experience with safety-critical processes and documentation standards that support regulated defense programs.

Practical notes

Work is full-time in Los Angeles, California. The engagement is full-time, and the compensation reflects the base salary of $190,000 annually. Only the hours, travel considerations, visa, and deadlines described in the source are presented here.