Head of Software

WORK ARRANGEMENT Onsite by default. Up to 2 days remote per week after the first 6 months, subject to controlled-data handling constraints and lab access. Full onsite presence during bring-up, qualification, and flight-test campaigns.

SECURITY REQUIREMENT Must be eligible for security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program (CGP).

THE ROLE This role defines the software and firmware architecture spanning the flight controller autopilot, map-based and visual navigation, the ground control station, datalink, mission systems, on-vehicle perception and AI pipelines, and product security. You will lead, hire, and mentor firmware, perception, navigation, and GCS engineers as the division scales, own the software-side interface control documents and requirements traceability, and enforce design assurance to DO-178C objectives and MISRA coding standards.

You will direct software development from prototype through qualified release, represent software at PDR, CDR, TRR, and safety reviews, and contribute to the R&D roadmap for flight software, autopilot capability, perception and AI, and mission management jointly with the CTO.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN System architecture:

Define the software and firmware architecture spanning the flight controller autopilot, map-based and visual navigation, ground control station, datalink, mission systems, on-vehicle perception and AI pipelines, and product security (on-vehicle cryptography and secure boot) — including the logical and physical architecture for onboard computing and networking.

Team leadership:

Lead, hire, and mentor firmware, perception, navigation, and GCS engineers as the division scales. Run design and code reviews, own the software program schedule, and coordinate with the other R&D heads — Hardware, Airframe & Mechanical, V&V/Airworthiness and Safety, Systems, Manufacturing, and IT — on integration and requirements.

Interfaces and traceability:

Own the software-side Interface Control Documents for avionics, sensors, datalinks, and ground systems, and maintain traceability from requirements through design, implementation, and verification.

Safety and compliance:

Establish and enforce software design assurance practices compliant with DO-178C objectives at the assurance level appropriate to each component's criticality, and MISRA coding standards.

Lifecycle management:

Direct software development from prototype through qualified release — HIL verification, regression test infrastructure, formal V&V, and independent verification of auto-generated (model-based) flight code by an engineer who did not author the source model. Represent software at PDR, CDR, TRR, and safety reviews.

Technology roadmap:

Shape the R&D roadmap for flight software, autopilot capability, perception and AI, and mission management, jointly with the CTO.

WHAT YOU BRING — TECHNICAL Note: bracketed proficiency levels indicate the depth expected in each area. Items marked Asset are not required.

Embedded firmware

(EXPERT): Real-time embedded C/C++ on ARM Cortex-M / STM32H7-class MCUs; RTOS (Azure RTOS, FreeRTOS or similar); bare-metal driver development.

Open-source flight stack

(EXPERT): Deep development experience modifying and extending PX4, ArduPilot, or similar frameworks — HAL layer porting, custom module integration, and the MAVLink protocol stack.

AI and perception

(DEEP): Model training and deployment for onboard target-recognition workloads; GPU-accelerated inference pipeline design; map-based and visual navigation for GNSS-degraded and denied operation; data/MLOps pipeline ownership from collection and labelling through model iteration and deployment to the target platform.

Software quality and static analysis

(DEEP): Static analysis tooling, enforcement of coding standards for safety-critical software (MISRA guidelines), and rigorous code review discipline.

SIL/HIL and simulation

(DEEP): Software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop rig integration and execution (Speedgoat, NI PXIe or equivalent); integration and execution of the 6-DOF flight dynamics model on the rig; closed-loop regression testing. Model authorship and 6-DOF fidelity sit with Flight Sciences; this role owns the physical rig and test infrastructure.

Systems and communications protocols

(DEEP): Datalink and telemetry protocol integration (radio hardware and antennas sit with the Hardware division); I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, RS-485, RS-232, Ethernet; secure and encrypted command-and-control link handling.

Requirements and verification discipline

(DEEP): Software-level requirements decomposition and bidirectional traceability; software-side ICD authorship; formal verification procedures and test evidence packages suitable for DND and Transport Canada review (e.