Senior/Staff Software Engineer - Allen Control Systems

Senior/Staff Software Engineer

Company Overview:

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.

With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders’ successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop have a real-world impact.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior/Staff level Software Engineer to join our team in Austin. TX. In this role you will serve as a senior individual contributor, providing technical leadership across software architecture, system design, and execution for advanced robotics and autonomous systems.

This is a hands-on engineering role in which you will design, implement, test, debug, and optimize critical software components using C++ and Python while also guiding broader technical direction.

What You'll Do

• Own complex technical initiatives from initial concept and architecture through implementation, integration, validation, and production deployment.
• Contribute directly to the codebase, particularly in technically challenging or high-risk areas, and ensure that solutions align with product, safety, scalability, reliability, and long-term maintainability goals.
• Define and evolve software architecture, establish engineering standards, and lead the design of systems that integrate software, mechanical, electrical, perception, controls, and autonomy components.
• Work through technical influence and cross-functional collaboration rather than formal people management.
• Partner with engineering managers, product leaders, and multidisciplinary teams to shape technical roadmaps, identify and mitigate high-impact risks, improve system performance, and deliver robust software for demanding production and mission-critical environments.

What You'll Need:

• 10+ years of professional Software Engineering experience with recent experience in a Senior/Staff level position
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field; an advanced degree is

preferred

.

• Significant experience developing complex software systems in C++ and Python, ideally within robotics, autonomous systems, embedded systems, or other high-performance engineering environments.