Full-Time

Senior Backend Software Engineer

Distributed Systems

HavocAI

HavocAI

51-200 employees

Affordable, scalable autonomous surface vessels

Compensation Overview

$175k - $200k/yr

No H1B Sponsorship

Remote in USA

Remote

US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Kubernetes
Distributed Systems
Data Structures & Algorithms
Computer Networking
Docker
AWS
Go
Observability
Robotics

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Requirements
  • The role requires 6+ years of experience in backend engineering, distributed systems engineering, or related software engineering roles.
  • The candidate must have strong expertise in Go and experience building highly concurrent systems.
  • The candidate must have experience designing and operating highly available, fault-tolerant distributed systems at scale.
  • The candidate must have experience with consensus and coordination primitives such as etcd, Raft, leader election, or similar patterns for multi-zone deployments.
  • The candidate must have strong API design and system architecture skills.
  • The candidate must have experience with Kubernetes and containerized environments.
  • The candidate must have a deep understanding of performance optimization, data structures, and system design.
  • The candidate must be able to drive projects from concept through production.
  • The candidate must have strong technical judgment and be able to operate independently in fast-moving environments.
  • The candidate must have strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance are required.
Responsibilities
  • Drive execution and technical excellence across backend projects.
  • Set engineering standards, conduct code reviews, and guide architectural decisions.
  • Contribute to the backend roadmap and delivery in partnership with product and engineering leadership.
  • Foster a culture of ownership, quality, and continuous improvement.
  • Design, build, and maintain scalable, highly concurrent backend services in Go.
  • Architect distributed systems that support high throughput, reliability, and real-time operations.
  • Define service boundaries, APIs, and data models across systems.
  • Design services for high availability and fault tolerance across availability zones.
  • Evolve singleton services into multi-zone, distributed deployments.
  • Optimize backend systems for performance, scalability, and resilience.
  • Identify and resolve bottlenecks in distributed systems and concurrency-heavy workloads.
  • Ensure systems meet high standards for uptime and operational reliability.
  • Improve observability, maintainability, and operational readiness of backend services.
  • Partner with frontend, platform, autonomy, and embedded teams to integrate services across applications and devices.
  • Support end-to-end system design from edge devices to cloud infrastructure.
  • Contribute to system-level architecture across the stack.
  • Help align backend capabilities with product, platform, and mission needs.
  • Enforce secure development practices across backend systems.
  • Maintain high standards for code quality, testing, documentation, and reliability.
  • Support technical reviews, design discussions, and production readiness efforts.
  • Build systems with security, scalability, and long-term maintainability in mind.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with IoT, robotics, autonomous systems, or distributed hardware systems.
  • Strong networking fundamentals and debugging experience.
  • Experience with AWS or cloud-based infrastructure.
  • Familiarity with embedded systems or hardware integration.
  • Experience supporting mission-critical, real-world deployed systems.
  • Experience working in small, fast-moving engineering teams or high-growth technology companies.
  • Active or prior security clearance.

HavocAI develops scalable maritime autonomy solutions, focusing on ultra-low-cost, high-rate production of Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) for defense and commercial markets. Its approach enables large-scale deployment of multi-mission autonomous ships that can perform security, surveillance, logistics, and environmental monitoring tasks. The way it works is by prioritizing affordability without sacrificing capability, enabling mass production and rapid deployment of a versatile fleet. This makes HavocAI stand out from competitors by combining cost-effectiveness with high scalability, aiming to supply thousands of autonomous maritime assets. The company’s goal is to redefine how maritime autonomy is adopted and integrated worldwide through widespread, rapid deployment of affordable autonomous vessels.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$196M

Headquarters

Providence, Rhode Island

Founded

2024

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 17, 2026 Blue Ops partnership expands Havoc across Variant 7 and future USVs.
  • Leidos integration targets fourth-quarter 2026 validation across unmanned surface and aerial systems.
  • Hanwha partnership targets 200-foot autonomous vessels and potential Philly Shipyard production.

What critics are saying

  • Blue Ops, Leidos, and Hanwha remain integration plans, not high-volume deliveries.
  • Defense primes can absorb Havoc's autonomy stack, compressing pricing before production scales.
  • If Navy procurement stalls, Havoc becomes a niche integrator instead of a platform company.

What makes HavocAI unique

  • Havoc pairs collaborative autonomy software with shipbuilder partners like Hanwha and Blue Ops.
  • Operation Jailbreak proved sub-48-hour integration across AZAK, ACS, and Havoc systems.
  • Havoc sells software-driven autonomy, not just vessels, lowering cost and accelerating production.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Equity Package

Work / Home Office Stipend

Global Entry

Paid Parental Leave

Monthly Health and Wellness Stipend

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

31%

1 year growth

31%

2 year growth

15%
MarketForecast
Aug 17th, 2026
Blue Ops, a Red Cat company, and Havoc partner to develop open-architecture autonomous maritime defense systems.

Blue Ops, a Red Cat company, and Havoc partner to develop open-architecture autonomous maritime defense systems. August 17, 2026 Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) ("Red Cat" or the "Company"), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, and Havoc, a leader in all-domain collaborative autonomy, announced a partnership today, formalized through Red Cat's maritime division, Blue Ops. Under the partnership, Blue Ops and Havoc plan to integrate Havoc's collaborative autonomy software and command-and-control capabilities across multiple Blue Ops uncrewed surface vessels, including the Variant 7 and additional platforms as they are introduced. The integration is intended to enable coordinated multi-vessel operations and expand the range of autonomous functions available to U.S. and allied defense customers. The partnership builds on Blue Ops' Modular Open Systems Architecture ("MOSA") approach to maritime systems, which is designed to support the rapid integration of autonomy, sensors, communications, payloads, and other mission technologies based on evolving operational requirements. Havoc's collaborative autonomy technology has been successfully deployed on behalf of the U.S. Department of War in multiple operational contexts. "This partnership is exactly what our open-architecture strategy was built for," said Barry Hinckley, President of Blue Ops. "Our goal is to build the best small USVs in the world while making it easy to integrate leading technologies from across the U.S. and our allies. Havoc has developed a powerful collaborative autonomy solution and integrating it with Blue Ops platforms gives customers greater choice and flexibility while accelerating how quickly advanced autonomous maritime capabilities can be fielded." Blue Ops and Havoc also plan to establish operational fleets at Havoc's headquarters in Rhode Island and Blue Ops' headquarters in Florida. These locations will provide U.S. and allied defense customers and partners with access to integrated Blue Ops and Havoc systems for live demonstrations, testing, training and operational evaluation, including both single-vessel autonomy and coordinated multi-vessel operations. "Havoc's primary strategy is to pair our leading-edge collaborative autonomy software with platform manufacturers who have already proven innovation, excellence, and scale," said Paul Lwin, CEO and Co-Founder of Havoc. "Blue Ops is the perfect partner to continue our journey because they are building an open, flexible family of maritime systems that align directly with how we believe autonomy should be deployed. By integrating Havoc across the Blue Ops portfolio, we can give operators the ability to command and coordinate multiple autonomous vessels while preserving the flexibility to adapt as operational requirements evolve." Additionally, the companies plan to work together to expand market access for their respective technologies. Blue Ops and Red Cat intend to introduce Havoc's autonomy and command-and-control capabilities to their government and commercial customers, while Havoc intends to market Blue Ops' family of USVs to its customer base. Together, the companies plan to pursue opportunities requiring integrated autonomous maritime systems. The partnership provides a framework for continued technical integration, demonstrations and joint customer engagement as the companies further develop their commercial relationship.

PR Newswire
Jun 15th, 2026
Havoc and AZAK sign Memorandum of Understanding to produce high-mobility autonomous ground systems.

Havoc and AZAK sign Memorandum of Understanding to produce high-mobility autonomous ground systems. Jun 15, 2026, 08:00 ET Partnership forged at Project Operation delivers a battle-proven, multi-company autonomous ground capability - built in less than 48 hours and ready to field PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Havoc, the all-domain collaborative autonomy company, and AZAK, a manufacturer of high-mobility unmanned ground vehicles, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly produce and scale small autonomous ground systems. The agreement formalizes a partnership born at the U.S. Army's Operation Jailbreak, where the two companies - alongside Allen Control Systems (ACS) and a handful of other companies - assembled, integrated, and demonstrated a fully operational counter-UAS platform in fewer than 48 hours. The original platform was purpose-built to detect and defeat drone swarms threatening U.S. forces, among other potential use cases. It runs on AZAK's self-propelled wheel chassis and is autonomously operated by Havoc's collaborative autonomy software, the same platform Havoc has deployed across maritime and aerial domains. The speed of integration was deliberate. Operation Jailbreak was designed by Army Futures Command to prove that commercial defense technology companies could come together rapidly, with no pre-arranged contracts, no months of planning meetings, and no custom development, and deliver a real, usable capability on demand. "Speed is the defining challenge of this moment, and this is the proof," said Paul Lwin, CEO and Co-founder of Havoc. "The Army gave us a problem set, put us in a room with other innovative companies, and we delivered an end-to-end capability in under 48 hours. AZAK is exactly the kind of partner that makes this possible. Their platform accepted our autonomy kit immediately, with no friction and no workarounds. Their engineering is modern, their architecture is open, and their team is ready to move at the pace the mission demands. Signing this MOU is about making that speed permanent and scalable." "Operation Jailbreak was instrumental here," said Ben Meager, CEO of AZAK. "In a matter of days we went from neighboring booths to a fully integrated autonomous ground system. Havoc's track record of quickly deploying collaborative autonomy platforms is unmatched. We had Havoc autonomy running on an AZAK platform within hours of meeting their team, and it performed flawlessly when tested. This partnership is the right next step." Beyond counter-UAS applications, Havoc and AZAK see the platform as a foundational capability for contested logistics, forward resupply, and perimeter security missions. About Havoc Havoc is a leader in all-domain collaborative autonomy. Its software-defined hardware approach powers military and commercial-grade autonomous systems across sea, air, and land to sense, decide, and act together in complex and contested environments. Havoc connects assets, enabling them to share information, adapt in real time, and continue operating even when communications are disrupted or denied. Havoc optimizes mission performance and minimizes human risk. Learn more at havocai.com. About AZAK AZAK is transforming how the world moves. By engineering the most efficient, powerful, and structurally adaptable electric mobility systems on the market, AZAK eliminates legacy design constraints to empower the next generation of autonomous and crewed vehicles. At the core of AZAK's platform is a patented mechanical breakthrough that packs all components entirely inside and below the center line of the wheel. By flattening the traditional drivetrain footprint, AZAK delivers platforms with an uncompromised center of gravity, maximized energy efficiency, and a modular architecture that offers freedom in frame design. Learn more at azakwheels.com. SOURCE Havoc AI

PR Newswire
May 12th, 2026
Havoc Raises $100M Series A to Power the Future of All-Domain Collaborative Autonomy

/PRNewswire/ -- Havoc, the all-domain collaborative autonomy company, today announced a $100 million Series A funding round, bringing the company's total...

SSBCrack
May 12th, 2026
Havoc raises $100M for autonomous boat software, outpaces $1.75B rival Saronic in Army trial

Havoc, a maritime technology startup founded by Navy veterans Paul Lwin and Joe Turner, has raised $100 million in Series A funding led by Cobalt and Boardman Bay, bringing total capital to nearly $200 million in under two and a half years. The company develops software for autonomous boats rather than manufacturing vessels, significantly reducing costs and production time. Its 14-foot "Rampage" boats, priced at approximately $200,000 each, can be operated by a single person using laptop-based controls. Havoc outperformed larger competitor Saronic, which recently raised $1.75 billion, in an Army innovation competition last year. The startup has completed over 20,000 hours of testing and aims to provide unmanned vessels for diverse military missions including mine removal, surveillance and combat operations across various defence domains.

PR Newswire
Apr 20th, 2026
Leidos and Havoc partner to integrate collaborative autonomy for unmanned maritime and air systems

Leidos and Havoc are partnering to integrate unmanned systems with collaborative autonomy technology, enabling a single operator to command fleets of platforms across contested areas. The companies plan a joint operational validation in the fourth quarter of 2026 involving unmanned surface and aerial vehicles under a unified autonomy system. Havoc's collaborative autonomy software will be integrated with Leidos' Autonomous Vessel Architecture on select platforms, beginning with the Sea Archer small unmanned surface vessel. The collaboration aims to deliver an autonomous battlespace architecture where distributed systems can sense, decide and act together across air, surface and sub-surface domains, even in communications-degraded environments. The partnership combines Leidos' maritime platforms and systems integration expertise with Havoc's autonomy capabilities, aiming to compress integration timelines from months to weeks.