Mission Support Engineer - Unmanned
First seen by Alion on Oct 15, 2026.
Mission Support Engineer – Unmanned
Location: Remote, with mission-driven travel. Travel volume varies considerably by season and program; we’re happy to discuss specifics with candidates.
Job Type: Full-Time
About Somewear Labs
Somewear Labs builds communication and unmanned systems technology for mission-critical operations in challenging environments.
Job Summary
The Mission Support Engineer – Unmanned is a hands-on, forward-deployed technical expert who owns the success of our unmanned system deployments — from pre-mission preparation through execution and recovery. You will isolate failures across the vehicle, onboard compute, Horizon hardware, payloads, and communications equipment, implement safe field solutions, and enable operators to employ the capability confidently on their own.
Key Responsibilities
Mission Support & Field Execution
Own technical execution of unmanned systems trials, evaluations, demonstrations, exercises, and operational deployments.
Serve as the on-site technical owner for system readiness, configuration, integration, troubleshooting, and mission performance.
Conduct pre-mission checks, equipment preparation, software installation, and readiness assessments; support post-mission recovery, discrepancy identification, documentation, and after-action review.
Translate mission requirements into practical unmanned system, compute, communications, and payload integration requirements.
Drive issues to resolution in the field using structured troubleshooting and sound engineering judgment.
Unmanned Systems Integration & Hardware Troubleshooting
Configure, operate, maintain, integrate, and troubleshoot unmanned systems and associated mission equipment.
Isolate failures across the vehicle, onboard compute, Horizon hardware, payloads, and communications equipment.
Troubleshoot power, cabling, connectors, pinouts, and data interfaces using technical documentation and a multimeter or similar diagnostic equipment.
Make safe field repairs, wiring changes, or integration adjustments when necessary to restore mission capability.
Diagnose issues involving networking, RF communications, payloads, and embedded systems.
Install, configure, upgrade, and troubleshoot Beam on vehicle compute hardware and other embedded or edge-compute systems.
Administer and troubleshoot Linux from the command line: processes and services, logs, permissions, packages and dependencies, network interfaces, and system resource utilization.
Work with APIs, configuration files, logs, and command-line tools to configure systems and diagnose mission issues.
Read enough code to understand software behavior, identify likely failure points, and support debugging with engineering and product teams.
Build temporary diagnostic tools, scripts, or workarounds when needed to isolate a problem or keep a mission moving.
Train operators on mission workflows, system configuration, and troubleshooting, and support onboarding and early adoption.
Advise customers on incorporating the technology into SOPs, CONOPs, and training pipelines.
Synthesize operator feedback and field observations for Product and Engineering, and help validate new capabilities, integrations, and software releases prior to launch.
Required
Hands-on, engineering-level experience supporting unmanned systems operations, evaluations, or field deployments (UxS, hybrid platforms, autonomy programs).
Demonstrated ability to configure, operate, integrate, and troubleshoot unmanned systems and mission equipment in field or operational environments.
Working knowledge of unmanned system integration across hardware, software, payloads, networking, and RF communications.
Hands-on experience troubleshooting power, cabling, connectors, pinouts, and data interfaces, including use of a multimeter and safe field repairs.
Proficiency administering and troubleshooting Linux from the command line, and installing and configuring software on embedded or edge-compute systems.
Experience with APIs, configuration files, logs, and command-line tools, and ability to read enough code to support debugging.
Understanding of how unmanned operators employ communications, situational awareness, and sensor-to-shooter workflows.
Experience briefing, training, or supporting military, government, or defense customers.
Strong problem-solving, field judgment, and communication skills.
- Ability to travel a minimum of 25%.
Relevant field, military, technical, or operational experience may substitute for an engineering degree.
Prior Mission Operations, Field Operations, Program Support, Technical Pre-Sales, or Field Service experience with unmanned systems.
- FAA Part 107 certification.
Experience supporting large-scale government evaluations, operational tests, or field exercises.
Experience with communications, networking, RF, or mission systems integrated with unmanned platforms.
Familiarity with Somewear Labs' platforms or similar technologies.
Originally posted on Himalayas