Integration Engineer, Radar and Drone Software (Counter-UAS)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 19, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 5, 2026.
We are Jasper and Alessandro, the founders of Impact Drones (YC S26). We are hiring an integration engineer to connect radars and drones into one system. We do not build radars: we use the best ones, plus whatever a customer already runs, and own the software that turns a radar track into an interceptor launch.
In March 2026, Iranian drones struck three AWS data centers in the UAE and Bahrain. Fiber-optic FPV drones cannot be jammed. The only thing that stops them is a physical intercept. That is what we build.
About Impact Drones
We sell Air Defense as a Service to civilian critical infrastructure. One container on site senses, decides and launches our interceptors: HUNTER, a kinetic quadcopter in combat in Ukraine against Shahed-class drones; WEAVER, which catches drones intact in a net; and SABLE, our turbojet interceptor. We integrate radars and own the software. First LOIs signed with defense and data-center customers.
What you will own
- Integrating third-party radars, RF detectors and EO/IR cameras into our response software, from vendor SDKs and interface documents.
- Combining their tracks into one air picture, with correct timing and positions.
- Connecting our drones and flight controllers (PX4, ArduPilot, Betaflight, MAVLink) and customer command-and-control systems.
- Test rigs and range tests that prove the full chain, from first detection to launch.
What you bring
- You integrated hardware you did not build (a sensor, vehicle or autopilot) and made it work in the field.
- Strong C++ or Python on Linux.
- Comfort with networking, time sync and coordinate frames.
- Tracking or sensor fusion experience.
Bonus points
- Counter-UAS or air-surveillance radar experience, or standards like ASTERIX or SAPIENT.
- You fly FPV or build drones.
- Defense or aerospace experience.
Compensation
- Base salary: $120,000 to $160,000 per year.
- Equity: 0.2% to 0.4%, 4-year vesting with a 1-year cliff.
Where we work
On-site in San Francisco, CA, with regular field testing at outdoor ranges and customer sites.
How to apply
Apply here on Work at a Startup. Put one line at the top of your resume: a sensor or vehicle you integrated that worked in the field, with a link if you can share it. We read every application ourselves.
Jasper and Alessandro
This role may involve technical data subject to U.S. export controls (ITAR and EAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons or eligible for any required export authorization.
Impact Drones is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in line with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.