Backend Software Engineer

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results. The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic. Most backend roles ask you to wire up an API and move records in and out of a database. This one asks you to build the systems that keep the largest drone swarm on the planet coordinated in real time. You'll help architect the backend for Legion's Command & Control platform: the systems that let a single operator plan, direct, and execute missions across a networked swarm of heterogeneous aircraft, in real time, over intermittent comms, at a scale nobody else in the industry is attempting. This isn't CRUD. It's real-time distributed systems, high-throughput telemetry pipelines, and infrastructure for a problem space that barely has prior art. What You'll Do Help architect the backend for a C2 system directing swarms of heterogeneous aircraftBuild distributed, collaborative real-time infrastructure for controlling large numbers of aircraft simultaneously, even when comms dropDesign and build the services that ingest, process, and distribute dense vehicle telemetry, sensor data, scheduling, crew resources, and data link management, much of it with no existing playbook to followOwn backend features end to end, from design through deploymentShip early, ship often, backed by strong CI/CD, QA, and DevSecOps What You've Done Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience6+ years building complex backend systems with real distributed systems depthStrong instincts for reliability, performance, and scalability, and the tools to back them upBuilt and operated production backend services and APIs at scale What Sets You Apart Experience with real-time and event-driven distributed systemsA track record with performance-sensitive, high-throughput application developmentFamiliarity with messaging and streaming protocolsExperience operating systems under degraded or intermittent connectivityExperience with geospatial data or applications WHY THIS ROLE You'll be one of the earliest engineers shaping how humans command autonomous systems at scale, work that's currently being defined in real time, by a small team, with your fingerprints on the architecture. If you want to build the future of human-swarm interaction rather than maintain someone else's, this is that seat. ITAR requirement To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Swarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability. What We Offer Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology companyCompetitive base salary commensurate with experienceMedical, dental, vision, and 401kPTO and paid sick leaveMonthly wellness stipendDaily catered lunch (office)Paid parental leaveDirect impact on a critical national security missionA world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems