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sUAS/Drone Software Engineer Asc - Early Career

Lockheed Martin

San Luis Obispo, CAFull-time$75–140K/yrSeen 5 days agoSeen in employer's feed 5 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$75–140K/yr
Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Security clearanceBachelor's degree

Job overview

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics seeks a full-time early-career software engineer to develop, integrate, and deploy software and firmware for tactical sUAS, accessories, and control devices. The engineer will work with a cross-functional team and support quality and reliability through peer reviews, documentation, issue resolution, and production support. The role requires a bachelor’s degree, relevant programming and sUAS experience, and U.S. citizenship; it requires a government security clearance.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

CC++JavaBashPythonsUAS or RC AircraftArdupilot or PX4GitMavlinkDevOpsDockerMicrocontroller ProgrammingAutonomy Software or Hardware IntegrationPerceptionMotion or Mission PlanningControlsTest and Verification CodingCI/CD Pipeline DevelopmentElectrical SchematicsEfficient Code DevelopmentSoftware TestingEmbedded FirmwareTroubleshooting

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Related DisciplineUS CitizenshipGovernment Security ClearanceUp to 2 Years Professional Experience

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off
Parental Leave
Tuition Assistance

Full job description

Standard Job Description

At Lockheed Martin we keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide career opportunities designed to propel development and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. This is a place for engineers, scientists, and problem-solvers who are ready to engage deeply, think critically, and build with purpose. You will not just launch a career. You will be part of something bigger. This is where the best are built.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is seeking a full-time Early Career Software Engineer. The engineer will be a member of a team engaged in the design of tactical sUAS and related accessories, working closely with a cross functional engineering team. They will specifically be responsible for developing, integrating, and deploying software and firmware to run on sUAS, accessories, and control devices. They will contribute to quality and reliability by participating in peer reviews, creating documentation, anticipating and addressing potential issues, and supporting a production team.

The candidate should have the ability to develop efficient, functional, and reliable code. They should also be able to develop and conduct effective software testing to ensure quality and reliability. They should have experience writing embedded firmware for microcontrollers. They should be able to apply relevant theory to the development process and have the ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex software issues. Finally, the candidate should have a can-do attitude, enjoy challenges, and desire to develop an excellent product. Must be a US Citizen; this position will require a government security clearance. This position is located at a facility that requires special access.

Plans, conducts, and coordinates software development activities. Designs, develops, documents, tests, and debugs software that contains logical and mathematical solutions to business/mission problems or questions in computer language for solutions by means of data processing equipment. Applies the appropriate standards, processes, procedures, and tools throughout the development life cycle. Applies knowledge of computer hardware and software, subject matter to be programmed in business/mission applications, information processing techniques used, and information gathered from system users to develop software. Corrects program errors, prepares operating instructions, compiles documentation of program development, and analyzes system capabilities to resolve questions of program intent, output requirements, input data acquisition, programming techniques, and controls. Ensures software standards are met.

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline

  • Experience in C, C++, Java, Bash and/or Python programming

  • Experience with sUAS or RC aircraft

  • Experience with Ardupilot or PX4

  • Experience with Git

  • Experience with Mavlink message protocal

Desired Skills

  • Up to 2 years professional experience, or demonstrated ability to perform job duties

  • Experience with DevOps (Containerization / Docker development and deployment)

  • Experience developing with and programming microcontrollers

  • Experience integrating or working with autonomy software and/or hardware, including perception, motion/mission planning, or controls

  • Experience writing code for test and verification

  • Experience with developing a quality software CI/CD pipeline

  • Familiarity with electrical schematics

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $75400.00 - $140000.00

At Lockheed Martin, we know mission success starts with taking care of our people. Our Total Rewards program is designed to attract top talent, support your well-being, and help you grow—both professionally and personally.

The salary range for this position is as listed on the requisition. Please note that the salary information listed is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market(work location) and business considerations when extending an offer.

Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible work arrangements and schedules (e.g., 4x10), 401(k) match, Paid time off, Holidays, Parental Leave, EAP, Flexible Spending Accounts, Education Assistance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability.

  • Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs may be offered depending on the position. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and can vary from year to year and are tied to a range of performance metrics.

  • For (Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year.

Lockheed Martin is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will be considered without regard to legally protected characteristics.

How this job compares

Set against the 40,832 open Software Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 5, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$75–140K/yr
  • California median$165–246K/yr7,688 salary ranges
  • US median$135–218K/yr32,472 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $108K, is 47% below the California median midpoint ($205K) — in the lowest quarter of Software Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 9,560 open Software Engineer jobs in California and 40,832 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 2 years of experience — less than three in four Software Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 33,318 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 14,022 of the 40,832 open Software Engineer jobs (34%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 5, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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