---
title: 'Flight Software Engineer at Poseidon Aerospace'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/flight-software-engineer-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-7dmakm0xb0f8'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Flight Software Engineer at Poseidon Aerospace

- **Company:** Poseidon Aerospace
- **Location:** Alameda
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-05
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/poseidonaero/ac4b6a4c-2cd3-43dd-8853-ccaa47e42e8c

## Job description

## ABOUT POSEIDON AEROSPACE:

Poseidon Aerospace is reimagining how the world moves goods. We build and operate full-size autonomous cargo aircraft - capable of carrying two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles. From remote communities to contested logistics operations, our platforms unlock a new cost curve for air freight, making it faster, cheaper, and accessible anywhere it's needed. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with locations in Washington DC, Oregon, and Maine; we're building something consequential.

As a Flight Software Engineer at Poseidon Aerospace, you will develop and maintain autonomous flight software for our aircraft. You will work on systems that enable safe, reliable, and efficient autonomous flight, including navigation, control algorithms, and real-time decision-making. We’re looking for someone with hands-on experience working on autonomous aircraft, who thrives in dynamic environments, and is passionate about pushing the boundaries of aviation technology.

## Responsibilities

- Design, develop, and optimize autonomous flight software, including guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms specifically for autonomous aircraft.
- Implement real-time decision-making systems for autonomous operations, managing dynamic flight conditions and environmental factors.
- Integrate software with onboard sensors, actuators, and avionics, enabling autonomous mission execution and real-time adaptation.
- Develop software for flight planning, collision avoidance, precision landing, and mission management.
- Test and validate software using simulation environments, hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) setups, and real-world flight testing.
- Conduct rigorous code reviews and implement best practices to ensure software reliability and performance in autonomous aircraft systems.
- Collaborate with aerospace engineers, avionics engineers, and field testing teams to ensure robust software integration and reliable flight operation.
- Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize flight software both in simulation and during field tests.

Ideal Qualifications

- Hands-on experience working on autonomous aircraft, including developing and implementing flight control algorithms.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as C++, Python, or Rust for real-time embedded systems.
- Experience with middleware like ROS (Robot Operating System) or similar frameworks for autonomous systems.
- Proven track record of developing and deploying GNC algorithms on autonomous aircraft platforms.
- Experience with flight simulation environments, HITL testing, and real-world autonomous flight testing.
- Experience with computer vision frameworks and integration into flight environments
- Knowledge of sensor fusion, path planning, obstacle avoidance, and adaptive control techniques.
- Experience with safety-critical software development, validation, and compliance in aviation.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to innovate when faced with real-world autonomous flight challenges.

## WHAT YOU GET FROM US

- Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity
- Relocation support if applicable
- Employee Health Benefit Plans
- 6% Retirement matching
- Flexible PTO
- Free lunches, snacks, and a stocked fridge at our offices
- AI tools and subscriptions

## About Poseidon Aerospace

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Poseidon Aerospace is reimagining logistics with autonomous aircraft built to move goods faster, cheaper, and anywhere they are needed, fundamentally changing the cost curve for air freight.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Startup)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: Not publicly available
- **Founders**: David Zagaynov (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense Logistics
- **Target customers**: Government/Defense (military logistics), Commercial logistics providers, and Enterprise supply chains
- **Mission**: To make air logistics as affordable and flexible as possible by driving the cost per ton-mile down to levels never before achieved in aviation, building the unmanned backbone of tomorrow's logistics.

## Products & Services
- **Seagull (Unmanned Cargo Aircraft)**: An autonomous, unmanned cargo drone designed to lift two tons. The aircraft is a seaplane, requiring no airports or runways—only water—to operate. This unlocks millions of miles of navigable waterways for logistics. The platform is built from the ground up as a clean-sheet design, leveraging composites and advanced manufacturing.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available
- **Total Funding**: $12.4 million USD
- **Funding Rounds**:
    - Pre-Seed: Led by Starship Ventures (1 investor)
    - Seed (2025-01-01): $1.4M from 2 investors
    - Seed (2025-11-01): $11.0M from 7 investors, led by Tamarack Global
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Tamarack Global (Lead), Starship Ventures, Sean Hoge (Lead Investor)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew +366.7% year-over-year to 20 employees; actively hiring for high-impact roles; secured a partnership with Northeastern’s Roux Institute and their National Security Innovation Hub to expand presence in Maine; FY2026 NDAA includes a provision for a pilot program for contracted amphibious aircraft, validating the market.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Seaplane Design**: The aircraft requires no airports or runways, only water, unlocking millions of miles of navigable waterways and making logistics possible in remote, contested, or infrastructure-poor regions.
- **Cost Curve Disruption**: By driving down the cost per flight-ton-mile, Poseidon aims to make air cargo as affordable as ground or maritime transport, a fundamental shift in logistics economics.
- **Defense & Government Focus**: The company is strategically aligned with U.S. national security priorities, specifically "contested logistics" as highlighted by the Department of Defense, giving it a clear and funded customer base.
- **Speed & Agility**: As a small, focused team (20 employees), the company claims to move with immense speed, building clean-sheet autonomous planes from scratch using advanced composites and manufacturing techniques.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling the Team**: Actively hiring across engineering, operations, and government relations to support rapid growth (headcount up +366.7% YoY).
- **Government & Defense Contracts**: Winning contracts is a core focus, with a dedicated Proposal Lead role and a Director of Government Relations position. The company is positioning itself to be a key player in the U.S. military's "contested logistics" strategy.
- **Expanding Manufacturing & Presence**: Partnering with Northeastern’s Roux Institute in Maine to build a presence in a region with a deep aerospace heritage and access to a national security innovation hub.
- **Product Development**: Building and iterating on the "Seagull" unmanned cargo aircraft, with a focus on composites and clean-sheet design.

## Why Work Here
- **High-Impact, Early-Stage Environment**: The company has grown from 4 to 20 people in a short period, offering the chance to build foundational systems and processes from the ground up.
- **Cutting-Edge Technology**: Work on clean-sheet autonomous aircraft, advanced composites, and manufacturing engineering in a fast-paced, iterative environment.
- **Mission-Driven**: The work directly impacts national security and global logistics, with a clear, compelling mission to make air cargo as affordable as ground transport.
- **Culture & Perks**: On-site work in San Francisco, CA. The company emphasizes a "punch above its weight" culture with a focus on engineering excellence and speed. Active hiring for high-impact roles across engineering, operations, and government relations.
- **Recent Growth**: The team has grown from 4 to 20 people in a short period, offering significant ownership and career growth opportunities for early employees.

## Sources
1. [poseidonaero.com](https://www.poseidonaero.com/)
2. [LinkedIn - Poseidon Aerospace](https://www.linkedin.com/company/poseidon-aerospace)
3. [Built In - Poseidon Aerospace](https://builtin.com/company/poseidon-aerospace)
4. [Ashby - Poseidon Aerospace Jobs](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/poseidonaero)

## Other roles at Poseidon Aerospace

- [Senior Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-recruiter-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-8n3y3p2ks94f) — Alameda
- [Propulsion Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/propulsion-engineer-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-j764pv1hrkqc) — Alameda
- [Proposal Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/proposal-lead-poseidon-aerospace-washington-fy2rdhdr2w3v) — Washington, DC
- [Pilot](https://feeny.ai/job/pilot-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-7r9ygx47zmpp) — Alameda
- [Operations Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/operations-associate-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-b79xt48vnsjy) — Alameda
- [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-pr6p7816nv70) — Alameda
- [Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-5gqg860wyvxs) — Alameda
- [Maine Composites Bridge](https://feeny.ai/job/maine-composites-bridge-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-dpk4eetefz67) — Alameda
- [Lead Mechanical Engineer, Airframe](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-mechanical-engineer-airframe-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-cmzp9ptrpq8q) — Alameda
- [Head of Finance](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-finance-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-t4js5ys7mnfg) — Alameda