Software Engineer - Vehicle Controls and UI

Location: Denver, CO (Onsite)

Reports To: Ben Meager, CEO / Founder

About AZAK

AZAK is transforming how the world moves. We are a startup in defense technology, empowering people with everything they need to move, achieve, and do more with the world's most efficient, powerful, and structurally adaptable electric mobility systems.

AZAK’s patented technology places all of the drive components needed to operate an electric vehicle inside and below the center point of the wheel. This simple but groundbreaking mechanical innovation helps us create vehicles with the lowest center of gravity, that are more energy efficient, and that have modular properties that provide optionality, space savings, and freedom of frame design.

About the Role

• We are looking for a versatile, system-thinking Software Engineer who will work on the entire control stack—from mobile user interfaces down to the low-level firmware drivers. If you are bored by standard SaaS applications and want to write software that commands unique ground vehicles, this is the role for you.
• You won't just sit in a silo writing isolated code. You will touch every part of our software ecosystem: developing application plugins for ATAK, writing high-performance C++ vehicle controls, diving into C-based firmware, and building the Python automation suites that run production checkout verification. This is a role for a true builder who wants to see their code move out of the IDE and onto the dirt.

What You’ll Do

• Full-Stack System Development: Build and maintain the end-to-end software architecture that links our robotic vehicles, operators, and broader mission systems.
• Tactical Application Integration: Lead the development and integration of capabilities and custom plugins for the TAK (Tactical Awareness Kit) framework.
• Vehicle Control & Orchestration: Write clean, lightweight, high-performance C++ code for our vehicle control and state machine systems and utilize C for low-level wireless components.
• Automation & Prototyping: Leverage Python to build robust data processing tools, rapid prototypes, and automated production checkouts.
• Whole-System Validation: Take ownership of your code from the screen to the field. You’ll be verifying software in the lab and out in the dirt to ensure the entire integrated platform is unbreakable.

Requirements

• The System Thinker: You understand how a single line of code impacts network bandwidth, power consumption, and mechanical movement. You know that software testing is just the starting point—changes aren't complete until they are validated in the physical system as a whole.
• Full-Stack Versatility: Comfortable working across the entire system architecture, from low-level hardware interfaces to operator-facing UIs.
• The Embedded Touch: Deep proficiency in C++ for real-time systems/vehicle control and C for embedded firmware development, with comfort navigating hardware communication protocols (e.g., CAN, Serial, UDP/TCP).
• Python Power User: Deep proficiency in Python for systems engineering, backend development, data processing, or rapid prototyping frameworks.
• Location: Must be based in or willing to relocate to Denver, CO.

Preferred Skills

• Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or an equivalent field
• Direct experience working with, deploying, or developing plugins for ATAK.
• Experience in high growth, fast-paced technology environments with a proven track record of continued success.

Culture Fit

• A True Tinkerer: You love to build things. You don't stop coding when the whistle blows. Your GitHub is full of side projects or your garage is full of smart-home hacks. You build software because you love to make things work.
• Devotion to Excellence and Attention to Detail: You understand that "good enough" doesn't cut it when your code is running on a heavy robotic platform. You write clean, testable, well-documented code and take pride in production-level reliability.
• Low Ego, High Collaboration: You thrive when working alongside electrical and mechanical engineers in a fast-paced lab environment and are ready to troubleshoot on the bench or in the field.
• Drive Mastery in the Minimal: You actively strip away the non-essential to deliver high-performance software solutions that are sophisticated yet inherently understood.

Compensation & Benefits

• Cash compensation is targeted at $135,000 - $180,000 + equity package.
• Note: This is a dual-track posting. Offers within this range are strictly commensurate with experience, calibrated for either a Senior Software Engineer or a Principal Software Engineer.
• 100% company-paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents.
• Paid time off.
• Fully subsidized supplemental benefits for unexpected medical events.
• Competitive parental leave.
• On-site meals three days a week.

AZAK is reinventing the wheel, and revolutionizing mobility.

AZAK is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.