Forward-Deployed Solution Engineer

Location: Kuwait (Home office: Austin, TX)
Travel: Mission-dependent, up to ~75% (OCONUS rotations)
Clearance Requirement: Active Secret required

About NODA

NODA is a veteran-owned Series A defense technology company building the orchestration layer for autonomous unmanned systems. Our platform — URZA — coordinates fleets of heterogeneous vehicles across air, sea, and land for defense and intelligence customers. We expect every hire to be mission-driven with strong agency.

The Role

We are seeking a senior full-stack engineer to lead URZA deployment and customer-facing technical delivery across active customer programs. This req can land at either Senior Solution Engineer (L5) or Solution Architect (L6) depending on demonstrated depth — see leveling below.

You will own URZA deployments end-to-end at customer sites — primarily in DoW and military operating environments. You will lead engagements as the senior engineering presence on the ground, partner directly with Mission Leads and Field Operations, and represent NODA in customer technical reviews. Expect significant time on-site and significant time writing — runbooks, deployment guides, ConOps documents, after-action reports.

What you'll do

• Lead URZA deployments end-to-end at customer sites in DoW and military operating environments.

• Configure URZA for each customer's mission and ConOps.

• Integrate URZA with third-party C2 systems, sensors, software APIs, and external data sources (weather, reconnaissance, intelligence feeds).

• Run customer technical reviews and operator training; partner with Mission Leads on engagement coordination.

• Build reusable engagement scaffolding (runbooks, ConOps templates, integration playbooks); mentor mid-level Solution Engineers.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of full-stack engineering experience, with significant customer-facing or forward-deployed work.

• Strong proficiency in Python, C++, or Rust; advanced Linux fluency.

• Networking depth (TCP/IP, UDP, multicast, routing) and field debugging across multiple system layers.

• Demonstrated deployment experience in DoW, military, or comparable operational environments.

• U.S. citizenship; able to obtain a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on with autonomous systems or unmanned vehicles (UAS, UGV, USV, UUV).

• Tactical C2 systems (TAK, Cursor-on-Target, Link 16) or pub-sub middleware (Zenoh, DDS).

• Experience integrating sensors, third-party APIs, or external data feeds (weather, reconnaissance, intelligence).

• Prior defense, autonomy, or robotics company experience; classified / ITAR / CMMC environment exposure.

• Active security clearance.

Leveling — Senior SE (L5) vs. Solution Architect (L6)

Senior Solution Engineer (L5): Owns URZA deployment for a single engagement. Leads on-site execution; partners with a more senior engineer on architecture decisions. Operates independently within an engagement; escalates cross-engagement trade-offs. Mentors mid-level SEs.

Solution Architect (L6): Owns URZA deployment architecture across multiple concurrent engagements. Defines integration patterns and ConOps templates that other SEs reuse. Holds customer technical authority where the customer expects an architect. Influences URZA roadmap and the integration layer directly through field learning.

Skills & Attributes

• Systems thinker across compute, network, vehicle behavior, and ConOps.

• Field-grounded; comfortable diagnosing in degraded conditions on a live exercise clock.

• Documentation-disciplined.

• Customer-credible; holds technical authority without overstating or underselling.

• Self-directed; thrives in ambiguity.

Benefits & Perks

Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

• We offer premium medical, dental, and vision coverage with zero paycheck premiums for you and your family

• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals + Company match

• Equity grants for new hires

• Unlimited PTO

• 11 Paid holidays

• Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in November, & December.

• Generous Parental Leave

• Military Leave for annual training or service requirements

• FSA

• DCFSA

• HSA

• Professional Development Opportunities

• Access to One Medical

• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.

Growth Path at NODA

Senior Solution Engineer → Solution Architect → Principal Solution Architect. Lateral: Engineering Manager (Solutions Engineering), Product Manager, Mission Lead.

Export Control Compliance

To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you 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 otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.

Equal Opportunity Statement

NODA AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace and to maintaining equitable employment and hiring practices. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

As a federal contractor, NODA AI complies with all applicable equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements, including Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), as amended. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities throughout the recruiting, hiring, and employment process.

Consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with applicable fair chance and ban-the-box laws, including the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance where applicable. We actively encourage qualified individuals of all backgrounds, including women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities, to apply.

NODA AI is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and accessible work environment for all applicants and employees. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] or contact your recruiter so we can provide the support you need.