Senior Java ATAK Engineer - Military veterans preferred

About Forterra

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.

About the role

Forterra is seeking a Senior ATAK Engineer to support the development of tactical command-and-control capabilities for our fleet of autonomous wheeled ground vehicles. In this role, you'll be at the forefront of building and deploying advanced ATAK plugins that connect Forterra's autonomy capabilities to the tactical edge.

You'll be responsible for contributing to the architecture, development, and integration of Forterra's ATAK based Tactical C2 node—delivering robust, user-friendly mission software to operators in the field. This includes designing and documenting extensible APIs, interfacing with native C++ and C components, and enabling secure, performant communications over degraded networks.

You'll join a tight-knit cross-functional team that spans UI/UX, autonomy, networking, and vehicle software. The work you do will directly shape how soldiers interact with Forterra's cutting-edge technology—and will have a measurable impact on mission success.

What you"ll do

• Contribute to the design, implementation, and maintenance of Forterra's tactical C2 capability through ATAK plugin development.
• Architect and evolve the remote C2 system connecting Forterra platforms to ATAK and partner interfaces across commercial and DoD use cases.
• Drive API design and data modeling across systems to ensure reliability, flexibility, and performance.
• Collaborate with autonomy and networking engineers to enable robust communication under constrained and adversarial conditions.
• Guide development of intuitive user experiences that support situational awareness, health monitoring, and direct platform control.
• Contribute to and review code across multiple languages (Java, C++, C) as needed for integration and performance.
• Contribute to documentation, field validation, and integration efforts with third-party platforms and government systems.
• Support a culture of engineering excellence through mentorship, design reviews, and quality-first development practices.

Qualifications

• Mission-First Mindset: A deep commitment to enabling national resilience and operational advantage through technical excellence.
• Ownership Mentality: A bias toward action and accountability, with a willingness to identify and solve the hardest problems.
• Structured Problem Solving: Ability to break down complexity, drive toward clarity, and execute against a plan.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Comfort operating in a non-hierarchical matrix environment, leading through influence and collaboration.
• Deep expertise in Java and Android-based ATAK plugin development.
• Familiarity with C++ and/or C codebases, particularly in embedded or mobile contexts.
• Experience with JNI development and implementation.
• Strong understanding of Linux development environments, networking protocols, and distributed systems.
• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously and lead efforts from design through deployment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience integrating with TAK Server, tactical radios, or defense-grade networking systems.
• Familiarity with build systems (e.g., CMake), package managers (e.g., Conan), and Git workflows.
• Background in defense, robotics, or autonomous vehicle domains.
• Strong systems thinking, debugging skills, and the ability to operate effectively in field environments.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor Degree in Computer Science (or similar field), or equivalent work experience.
• 7+ years of software engineering experience, with 2+ years specifically focused on ATAK plugin development.
• Experience with designing APIs and handling data transfer over low-bandwidth, high-latency networks.

US Salary Range
$120,000 - $175,000

Location
Hybrid in Clarksburg, MD OR SF Bay Area, CA - On-Site 3 Days/Week
Up to 15% travel

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra's overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.

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