Research Engineer (Engineer I) - UAS Hardware & Software at STI
Hawthorne, CA
$75,000–$85,000from the description
Jul 19, 2026
Hawthorne, CA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
An entry-level engineering role focused on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), spanning both hardware and software work. Day-to-day responsibilities include integrating and testing avionics hardware, writing embedded and autonomy software in C/C++ and Python, supporting flight test activities, and working with autopilot platforms such as ArduPilot or PX4. Suits candidates with a relevant engineering degree, hands-on UAS hardware experience, and a background in aerospace.
Junior level · National · Bachelor's required · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $138,970 (middle half $107,524–$175,762). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (9)
No work location or city is specified in the posting; CBSA and state fields are left blank. STI's headquarters is in Hawthorne, CA, but this cannot be confirmed from the posting text alone.
The role is titled 'Research Engineer (Engineer I)', which maps to an entry-level/junior band; the requirements (BS degree, hands-on UAS experience) are consistent with that level.
C/C++ and Python are listed together under the required section with an 'and/or' qualifier — they are treated as a paired must-have where either satisfies the gate, reflected in each skill's alternatives.
UAS hardware integration (flight controllers, sensors, payload, PCB/wiring harness) is explicitly required ('Hands-on experience with UAS hardware … required'); listed as a must-have even though no specific named tool is cited — this is a concrete domain skill gate, not a generic concept.
MATLAB/Simulink is explicitly called 'a plus' in the requirements section, so it is marked preferred.
ArduPilot/PX4 and MAVLink are described as 'strongly preferred' — not a hard gate; marked preferred accordingly.
HIL/SIL, Blue UAS, and EO/IR appear under the 'Bonus Qualifications' section and are marked preferred.
The stated compensation range ($75,000–$85,000) is described as inclusive of base pay, performance bonus, and ESOP — not base salary alone; this nuance cannot be captured in the comp fields but is worth noting.
The SOC classification is Medium confidence: the role spans embedded software development, GNC analysis, and hardware integration — a genuine hybrid. 15-1252 (Software Developers) is chosen because software development (C/C++, Python, autopilot firmware, autonomy behaviors) is the primary deliverable, but 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is a reasonable runner-up given the strong hardware/systems engineering component.
Read the full posting
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