Robotics Software Engineer

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI, we’re developing Fury, the first robotic foundation model for defense, to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work.

The Role

We’re looking for a Robotics Software Engineer to design and build the software that powers intelligent robotic systems. You’ll work on perception, autonomy, control systems, and infrastructure that allow robots to operate reliably in complex environments. This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy solving real-world problems at the intersection of robotics, AI, and scalable software systems. Your work will run on robots in complex, adversarial environments. Expect to move fast, test ideas aggressively, and break new ground as we create the first robotic foundation model for defense. We’re a startup. You’ll be moving fast, context-switching daily, and helping define the culture and process as we go. This is a rare opportunity to come in early and architect the future of defense.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy software for advanced drone hardware, promoting autonomous flight capabilities and delivery operations
• Develop software for robotic perception, planning, and control
• Develop dynamic memory, communication, and tool use faculties for AI agents
• Build and maintain robotics infrastructure, simulation, and testing environments
• Integrate sensors such as cameras, LiDAR, and IMUs into robotic systems
• Implement and optimize algorithms for localization, mapping, and navigation
• Work on autonomy pipelines from perception to action
• Collaborate with hardware, AI, and product teams to ship robotic capabilities
• Improve system reliability, performance, and real-world robustness
• Contribute to deployment and monitoring of robotic systems in production environments

Qualifications

• Strong programming skills in C++, Python, or similar languages
• Experience developing robotics systems or autonomy software
• Experience working with real-world robotics hardware or simulation environments
• Strong debugging and system-level problem-solving skills
• Ability to work across multiple layers of the robotics stack
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities
• Passion about defense of the United States and its allies
• May be expected to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Why Join Scout

• Work on the world’s most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines
• Be a core part of a team building the first defense-specific robotic foundation model
• Collaborate with some of the top engineers in autonomy, AI, and national security
• See your work deployed on real systems
• Help define the future of intelligent defense systems
• Backed by Draper Associates, Booz Allen Ventures, and other top investors

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and bonus
• Meaningful equity
• Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution
• Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar
• Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen
• EV charging
• Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)

The stated salary range below represents an estimated base pay only and reflects consideration of multiple compensation factors. Final salary offers may differ depending on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience or training background, specialized skills, and business needs. Most full-time positions also include highly competitive equity awards, which form part of Scout AI's overall compensation package. In addition, Scout AI provides comprehensive, top-tier benefits to full-time employees.

US Salary Range

$145,000—$220,000 USD