Systems Architect

SENIOR SYSTEMS ARCHITECT📍 Upland, California🕒 Full-Time🔒 Active Secret Clearance Preferred (TS/SCI Eligibility a Plus)ABOUT PHERATECHWhile most autonomy companies focus on making a single robot smarter, Pheratech focuses on making teams of robots work together. Our software enables autonomous systems to coordinate, adapt, and make decisions collectively without centralized control, allowing robotic teams to operate effectively in dynamic and communications-constrained environments.As we transition software from research validation into operational deployment, we are seeking a Systems Architect who can bridge the gap between advanced autonomy research and real-world robotic systems.ABOUT THE ROLEThis role spans the full autonomy stack, from multi-agent coordination algorithms and machine learning to embedded software, flight control integration, communications systems, and field deployment.You will own the architecture that connects our algorithms to operational robotic platforms, ensuring that what works in simulation performs reliably in the field.RESPONSIBILITIES- Own the end-to-end systems architecture for Concord from algorithm implementation through embedded deployment- Define and maintain interface control documents (ICDs) across software, hardware, and partner platforms- Lead hardware-software integration across companion computers, mesh radios, sensor payloads, and flight control systems- Translate autonomy and machine learning research into deployable software architectures- Develop system requirements, verification plans, and validation strategies- Coordinate implementation efforts between research, software, and embedded engineering teams- Drive design of real-time coordination systems operating within strict timing and resource constraints- Establish compute, memory, communications, and latency budgets across onboard processing nodes- Evaluate and integrate middleware technologies including ROS2, DDS, MAVLink, and related systems- Design and implement fault tolerance and graceful degradation strategies- Lead software-in-the-loop (SITL), hardware-in-the-loop (HITL), and live-flight testing efforts- Build and maintain test infrastructure for degraded communications, GPS denial, network partitioning, and other contested-environment scenarios- Conduct failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) for autonomous systems- Serve as the primary technical interface with customers, partners, and government stakeholders- Support proposal development and technology transition effortsREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related discipline- 5-10 years of experience developing and deploying real-time embedded systems in operational environments- Strong systems engineering background with experience integrating complex hardware and software systems- Strong C++ development experience- Strong Python development experience- Production experience with ROS2- Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, MAVLink, DDS, ZeroMQ, or similar autonomy technologies- Understanding of machine learning fundamentals including optimization, deep learning, and sensor fusion- Experience working with autonomous systems, robotics, or aerospace platformsPREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS- Active Secret Clearance- TS/SCI Eligibility- Multi-agent systems experience- Swarm robotics experience- Reinforcement Learning or Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning experience- CUDA or GPU programming experience- Experience with distributed systems- Experience supporting DoD programs- Experience supporting flight testing and operational demonstrations- Part 107 CertificationWHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE- Research algorithms successfully deployed onto operational platforms- Reliable system performance in degraded and contested environments- Seamless integration across software, hardware, and partner systems- Successful execution of flight demonstrations and customer evaluations- Clear and scalable system architecture supporting future growthWHY PHERATECHYou'll be working on some of the hardest problems in robotics and autonomy, helping create the infrastructure that enables autonomous systems to coordinate intelligently at scale. If you're excited by swarm robotics, distributed systems, machine learning, embedded software, and building technology that moves from research papers to deployed capability, we'd love to hear from you.