Senior Android Apps Engineer – ArcTAK Lead
Firestorm · San Diego, CA · 3 wk ago
On-siteEngineering$145k–$165k/yrFull-time
We need to output HTML fragment with sections: About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. Use for each heading. Use
for each heading. Use - for any list of duties/requirements/benefits. Use
for prose. Do not repeat job title as heading. Do not put Job ID/requisition numbers as headings. Remove boilerplate: cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning, duplicated lines, application instructions. Preserve all substantive info. Include a section only when posting has real specific content for it. Avoid filler like "commensurate with experience". So we need to extract content.
Let's parse the posting.
Sections present:
- Who We Are (intro) – could be considered "About the role"? Actually "About The Role" heading present. We'll treat that as "About the role". The "Who We Are" is company description; could be part of About the role? Probably we can include as part of About the role section (prose). The instruction: Use
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). So we need to map content to these headings.
We have:
About the role: The paragraph after "About The Role" includes description: "Firestorm builds modular autonomous aircraft designed to adapt across missions, payloads, and deployment environments. We are seeking an Android Applications Engineer, Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to join our team at our San Diego office. In this role, you will design and develop solutions across the TAK ecosystem to support real-time communication, situational awareness, and mission execution for defense and tactical operations. You will rapidly grow into the lead developer on a small team, taking on ownership of this product at that time. Working alongside other senior engineers and cross-functional teammates, you'll apply your strong skills to build, test, and deploy capabilities that directly serve frontline operators. You would be a good candidate for this position if you fit the following description: ..."
Then bullet list of candidate traits: "You have extensive experience in Android and Java engineering. You possess leadership skills and are eager to mentor other engineers. You're curious about real-world tactical challenges and are motivated to build solutions which work in demanding environments. You thrive on collaboration, working with developers, quality assurance, operators, and product managers to deliver impactful results. You welcome rapidly evolving technologies and are comfortable iterating quickly to stay ahead of shifting requirements. You hold yourself to high standards in coding, testing, and documentation. You're always looking to improve."
That could be part of "Requirements" or "Skills". But we also have a "What You’ll Do" section with duties.
Then "Required Qualifications" list.
Then "Preferred Qualifications" list.
Then "Work Environment" (location, relocation assistance). Not a required heading but could be part of About the role or maybe omitted.
Then "Compensation" (Pay) with salary range.
Then "Benefits & Perks" list.
Then "Export Control Compliance" (legal) – should be removed as boilerplate? It's substantive but maybe considered legal; but instruction says remove cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning boilerplate. Export control compliance is legal; likely should be removed. Also "Equal Opportunity Statement" removed.
Thus we need sections: About the role, Responsibilities (What You’ll Do), Requirements (maybe combine Required Qualifications?), Qualifications (maybe Preferred Qualifications?), Skills (maybe the candidate traits?), Benefits, Pay, Schedule (if any schedule info – none). So we may omit Schedule if no content.
We must not create sections with filler. So we will include only those with real content.
Let's extract each.
About the role: combine Who We Are and About The Role paragraph? The "Who We Are" is company overview; could be part of About the role. We'll include that as prose.
Responsibilities: from "What You’ll Do" bullet list.
Requirements: maybe "Required Qualifications". That's a list.
Qualifications: maybe "Preferred Qualifications". That's a list.
Skills: maybe the candidate traits list (the "You would be a good candidate...").
Benefits: from Benefits & Perks list.
Pay: from Compensation section.
Schedule: none -> omit.
We must not repeat job title as heading. Not needed.
We need to output only HTML fragment, no /, no markdown fences.
We'll produce something like:
About the role
...
Responsibilities
- ...
...
Requirements
- ...
...
Qualifications
- ...
...
Skills
- ...
...
Benefits
- ...
...
Pay
US Salary Range: $145,000 – $165,000 USD ...
We need to preserve all substantive info, not invent or summarize away detail. So we need to include all details from each section.
Let's extract exact text.
Who We Are:
"At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. Modern conflict has exposed a fundamental problem: the systems needed most by operators are often too expensive, too slow to produce, and too difficult to sustain at scale. Firestorm exists to change that. We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell — our deployable microfactory — our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need. We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact."
About The Role paragraph:
"Firestorm builds modular autonomous aircraft designed to adapt across missions, payloads, and deployment environments. We are seeking an Android Applications Engineer, Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to join our team at our San Diego office. In this role, you will design and develop solutions across the TAK ecosystem to support real-time communication, situational awareness, and mission execution for defense and tactical operations. You will rapidly grow into the lead developer on a small team, taking on ownership of this product at that time. Working alongside other senior engineers and cross-functional teammates, you'll apply your strong skills to build, test, and deploy capabilities that directly serve frontline operators. You would be a good candidate for this position if you fit the following description:"
Then the candidate traits list (Skills). We'll extract each bullet.
List:
- You have extensive experience in Android and Java engineering.
- You possess leadership skills and are eager to mentor other engineers.
- You're curious about real-world tactical challenges and are motivated to build solutions which work in demanding environments.
- You thrive on collaboration, working with developers, quality assurance, operators, and product managers to deliver impactful results.
- You welcome rapidly evolving technologies and are comfortable iterating quickly to stay ahead of shifting requirements.
- You hold yourself to high standards in coding, testing, and documentation.
- You're always looking to improve.
Now "What You’ll Do" responsibilities list:
- Design and implement ATAK plugins, features, and integrations in Java.
- Lead the full development lifecycle of ATAK-based application solutions.
- Work closely with a manager to plan release goals, timelines, and cycles.
- Assist with sprint planning for junior developers.
- Review code from junior developers and assist in their skills development.
- Author build instructions, testing instructions, release notes and other technical documents.
- Contribute to and navigate official TAK repositories, maintaining alignment with community standards and coordinating with external stakeholders.
- Engage with TAK community initiatives to stay current on feature updates and best practices.
- Create UI assets and ensure interface designs are optimized for ease of use in austere and high-intensity environments.
- Apply knowledge of industry-standard protocols (i.e. MAVLink, Link 16, OMNI) to develop secure solutions for cross-platform interoperability.
- Support the evaluation and integration of UAS systems into TAK workflows.
- Participate in client-facing engagements with government, military, and commercial stakeholders, including gathering feedback and delivering product demonstrations.
- Implement and maintain best practices for secure data handling, network configurations, and user access controls.
- Work closely with cross-functional teams (software, hardware, operations) to align TAK capabilities with broader organizational objectives.
Now Required Qualifications list:
- Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- 5+ years of software development experience with a strong focus on Java.
- 5+ years of experience developing for Android, including familiarity with Android Studio IDE, Android SDK, Gradle build system, and Jetpack libraries.
- Ability to seamlessly integrate C++ code into Android applications using the Android NDK and JNI.
- Experience implementing encryption, authentication, and secure communication methodologies in restricted environments.
- Background in secure DevOps practices, including test automation and CI/CD pipelines.
- High proficiency in Android architecture fundamentals, including the Activity lifecycle, Services, Broadcast Receivers, and Content Providers.
- Customer-facing communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
- U.S. citizenship is required, alongside the ability to obtain U.S. Government security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications list:
- Deep knowledge of the TAK ecosystem (ATAK, TAK Server, etc.), including plugin development and system integration.
- Full understanding of the Cursor-On-Target message formats and its different sub-schemas.
- Demonstrated success building and maintaining ATAK/TAK solutions, including plugin creation and lifecycle management.
- Hands-on familiarity with the TAK Product Center, including code contributions, community collaboration, and plugin lifecycle management.
- Background in defense or tactical UX, with an understanding of operator constraints, workflows, and operational requirements.
- Experience with real-time video streaming systems (RTSP, SRT) connected to TAK platforms.
- Knowledge of unmanned aerial systems, including flight dynamics, sensor feeds, and communication protocols.
Work Environment:
"This role is based in San Diego, CA.We welcome candidates who are local or open to relocating; relocation assistance is available and may be included in the offer package where appropriate."
We could include this as part of About the role or maybe a separate section but not in prescribed headings. Could be omitted or included in About the role as extra prose. Probably include in About the role after the description.
Compensation/Pay:
"Compensation US Salary Range: $145,000 – $165,000 USD The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve."
We'll keep that as prose under Pay.
Benefits & Perks list:
We need to extract each benefit item.
Paragraph: "Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:"
Then list:
- We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals
- Equity grants for new hires
- Unlimited PTO
- Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July & December.
- Generous Parental Leave
- Lifestyle Spending Account
- FSA DCFSA HSA
- Hospital Indemnity insurance
- Critical Illness
for prose. Do not repeat job title as heading. Do not put Job ID/requisition numbers as headings. Remove boilerplate: cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning, duplicated lines, application instructions. Preserve all substantive info. Include a section only when posting has real specific content for it. Avoid filler like "commensurate with experience". So we need to extract content. Let's parse the posting. Sections present: - Who We Are (intro) – could be considered "About the role"? Actually "About The Role" heading present. We'll treat that as "About the role". The "Who We Are" is company description; could be part of About the role? Probably we can include as part of About the role section (prose). The instruction: Use
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). So we need to map content to these headings.
We have:
About the role: The paragraph after "About The Role" includes description: "Firestorm builds modular autonomous aircraft designed to adapt across missions, payloads, and deployment environments. We are seeking an Android Applications Engineer, Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to join our team at our San Diego office. In this role, you will design and develop solutions across the TAK ecosystem to support real-time communication, situational awareness, and mission execution for defense and tactical operations. You will rapidly grow into the lead developer on a small team, taking on ownership of this product at that time. Working alongside other senior engineers and cross-functional teammates, you'll apply your strong skills to build, test, and deploy capabilities that directly serve frontline operators. You would be a good candidate for this position if you fit the following description: ..."
Then bullet list of candidate traits: "You have extensive experience in Android and Java engineering. You possess leadership skills and are eager to mentor other engineers. You're curious about real-world tactical challenges and are motivated to build solutions which work in demanding environments. You thrive on collaboration, working with developers, quality assurance, operators, and product managers to deliver impactful results. You welcome rapidly evolving technologies and are comfortable iterating quickly to stay ahead of shifting requirements. You hold yourself to high standards in coding, testing, and documentation. You're always looking to improve."
That could be part of "Requirements" or "Skills". But we also have a "What You’ll Do" section with duties.
Then "Required Qualifications" list.
Then "Preferred Qualifications" list.
Then "Work Environment" (location, relocation assistance). Not a required heading but could be part of About the role or maybe omitted.
Then "Compensation" (Pay) with salary range.
Then "Benefits & Perks" list.
Then "Export Control Compliance" (legal) – should be removed as boilerplate? It's substantive but maybe considered legal; but instruction says remove cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning boilerplate. Export control compliance is legal; likely should be removed. Also "Equal Opportunity Statement" removed.
Thus we need sections: About the role, Responsibilities (What You’ll Do), Requirements (maybe combine Required Qualifications?), Qualifications (maybe Preferred Qualifications?), Skills (maybe the candidate traits?), Benefits, Pay, Schedule (if any schedule info – none). So we may omit Schedule if no content.
We must not create sections with filler. So we will include only those with real content.
Let's extract each.
About the role: combine Who We Are and About The Role paragraph? The "Who We Are" is company overview; could be part of About the role. We'll include that as prose.
Responsibilities: from "What You’ll Do" bullet list.
Requirements: maybe "Required Qualifications". That's a list.
Qualifications: maybe "Preferred Qualifications". That's a list.
Skills: maybe the candidate traits list (the "You would be a good candidate...").
Benefits: from Benefits & Perks list.
Pay: from Compensation section.
Schedule: none -> omit.
We must not repeat job title as heading. Not needed.
We need to output only HTML fragment, no /, no markdown fences.
We'll produce something like:
About the role
...
Responsibilities
- ... ...
Requirements
- ... ...
Qualifications
- ... ...
Skills
- ... ...
Benefits
- ... ...
Pay
US Salary Range: $145,000 – $165,000 USD ...
We need to preserve all substantive info, not invent or summarize away detail. So we need to include all details from each section. Let's extract exact text. Who We Are: "At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. Modern conflict has exposed a fundamental problem: the systems needed most by operators are often too expensive, too slow to produce, and too difficult to sustain at scale. Firestorm exists to change that. We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell — our deployable microfactory — our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need. We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact." About The Role paragraph: "Firestorm builds modular autonomous aircraft designed to adapt across missions, payloads, and deployment environments. We are seeking an Android Applications Engineer, Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to join our team at our San Diego office. In this role, you will design and develop solutions across the TAK ecosystem to support real-time communication, situational awareness, and mission execution for defense and tactical operations. You will rapidly grow into the lead developer on a small team, taking on ownership of this product at that time. Working alongside other senior engineers and cross-functional teammates, you'll apply your strong skills to build, test, and deploy capabilities that directly serve frontline operators. You would be a good candidate for this position if you fit the following description:" Then the candidate traits list (Skills). We'll extract each bullet. List: - You have extensive experience in Android and Java engineering. - You possess leadership skills and are eager to mentor other engineers. - You're curious about real-world tactical challenges and are motivated to build solutions which work in demanding environments. - You thrive on collaboration, working with developers, quality assurance, operators, and product managers to deliver impactful results. - You welcome rapidly evolving technologies and are comfortable iterating quickly to stay ahead of shifting requirements. - You hold yourself to high standards in coding, testing, and documentation. - You're always looking to improve. Now "What You’ll Do" responsibilities list: - Design and implement ATAK plugins, features, and integrations in Java. - Lead the full development lifecycle of ATAK-based application solutions. - Work closely with a manager to plan release goals, timelines, and cycles. - Assist with sprint planning for junior developers. - Review code from junior developers and assist in their skills development. - Author build instructions, testing instructions, release notes and other technical documents. - Contribute to and navigate official TAK repositories, maintaining alignment with community standards and coordinating with external stakeholders. - Engage with TAK community initiatives to stay current on feature updates and best practices. - Create UI assets and ensure interface designs are optimized for ease of use in austere and high-intensity environments. - Apply knowledge of industry-standard protocols (i.e. MAVLink, Link 16, OMNI) to develop secure solutions for cross-platform interoperability. - Support the evaluation and integration of UAS systems into TAK workflows. - Participate in client-facing engagements with government, military, and commercial stakeholders, including gathering feedback and delivering product demonstrations. - Implement and maintain best practices for secure data handling, network configurations, and user access controls. - Work closely with cross-functional teams (software, hardware, operations) to align TAK capabilities with broader organizational objectives. Now Required Qualifications list: - Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field. - 5+ years of software development experience with a strong focus on Java. - 5+ years of experience developing for Android, including familiarity with Android Studio IDE, Android SDK, Gradle build system, and Jetpack libraries. - Ability to seamlessly integrate C++ code into Android applications using the Android NDK and JNI. - Experience implementing encryption, authentication, and secure communication methodologies in restricted environments. - Background in secure DevOps practices, including test automation and CI/CD pipelines. - High proficiency in Android architecture fundamentals, including the Activity lifecycle, Services, Broadcast Receivers, and Content Providers. - Customer-facing communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences. - U.S. citizenship is required, alongside the ability to obtain U.S. Government security clearance. Preferred Qualifications list: - Deep knowledge of the TAK ecosystem (ATAK, TAK Server, etc.), including plugin development and system integration. - Full understanding of the Cursor-On-Target message formats and its different sub-schemas. - Demonstrated success building and maintaining ATAK/TAK solutions, including plugin creation and lifecycle management. - Hands-on familiarity with the TAK Product Center, including code contributions, community collaboration, and plugin lifecycle management. - Background in defense or tactical UX, with an understanding of operator constraints, workflows, and operational requirements. - Experience with real-time video streaming systems (RTSP, SRT) connected to TAK platforms. - Knowledge of unmanned aerial systems, including flight dynamics, sensor feeds, and communication protocols. Work Environment: "This role is based in San Diego, CA.We welcome candidates who are local or open to relocating; relocation assistance is available and may be included in the offer package where appropriate." We could include this as part of About the role or maybe a separate section but not in prescribed headings. Could be omitted or included in About the role as extra prose. Probably include in About the role after the description. Compensation/Pay: "Compensation US Salary Range: $145,000 – $165,000 USD The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve." We'll keep that as prose under Pay. Benefits & Perks list: We need to extract each benefit item. Paragraph: "Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:" Then list: - We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans - 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals - Equity grants for new hires - Unlimited PTO - Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July & December. - Generous Parental Leave - Lifestyle Spending Account - FSA DCFSA HSA - Hospital Indemnity insurance - Critical Illness