Senior Android Developer

Position Summary

Apium Swarm Robotics (ASR) is revolutionizing swarm autonomy software for air, surface, undersea, and ground vehicles operating across dual-use commercial and defense environments. Our systems are deployed on real platforms, tested in the field, and delivered to customers operating in complex, uncertain, and safety-critical conditions.

We do not build research prototypes or slideware. Our software is integrated into real vehicles, tested in the field, and delivered to customers who depend on operational reliability, speed of execution, and mission relevance. We prioritize performance over hype.

ASR systems represent the next phase in autonomy: collaborative swarming. These are not like pre-programmed drones for light shows. We are creating real-time cooperative management that lets one operator control dozens to hundreds of vehicles in real-time with the ease of controlling a single vehicle. As such, this role requires comfort with responsibility, ambiguity, and operational accountability.

ASR seeks a senior Android developer to join our software team. This role targets an experienced mobile engineer capable of owning the operator-facing applications that pilots, ground crews, and tactical users rely on to plan, monitor, and command drone swarms in the field. Primary responsibilities include the design and development of GIS-rich planning and control applications that fuse map data, terrain models, and real-time vehicle telemetry into a single tactical picture on Android tablets and ruggedized mobile devices.

A core focus of this role is geospatial intelligence on the device: integrating and rendering GIS layers, consuming DTED (Digital Terrain Elevation Data) for elevation-aware features such as line-of-sight, viewshed, and terrain following, and presenting all of it through interfaces that remain usable in direct sunlight, with gloved hands, and over intermittent tactical networks.

The role also encompasses the implementation of low-latency real-time telemetry, command, and control pathways between Android applications and ASR’s ground station and onboard autonomy stack — including handling mesh radio links, and other constrained transports common in tactical environments. Travel may be required for field testing and demonstrations, which will allow you to witness firsthand how your software performs as dozens of drones take flight.

You will work closely with backend, autonomy, and field engineers, shipping features that go directly to operators and that you will see exercised in live demonstrations. Direct feedback from the field is expected to inform your roadmap, and your software will be a primary touchpoint between ASR and its end users.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain Android applications that serve as ASR’s primary operator-facing tools for swarm planning, monitoring, and tactical control

• Integrate and render GIS data layers and DTED elevation models into intuitive map-based mission-planning interfaces

• Implement real-time telemetry, command, and control over UDP, TCP, WebSockets, MQTT, or similar transports across mesh radios and cellular links

• Collaborate across autonomy, backend, and field teams to ship features grounded in real operational use, and support field exercises and customer demonstrations

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional Android development experience, primarily in Kotlin (Java acceptable as a secondary language)

• Strong proficiency in the modern Android stack including Jetpack components, coroutines, and lifecycle-aware architecture

• Hands-on experience integrating and rendering GIS data on mobile, including map tiles, vector overlays, and coordinate systems such as WGS84, MGRS, and UTM

• Demonstrated experience consuming DTED (Digital Terrain Elevation Data) for elevation-aware features such as line-of-sight, terrain following, or viewshed analysis

• Working knowledge of Android mapping libraries such as osmdroid, MapLibre, Mapbox, or the Google Maps SDK

• Familiarity with georeferenced raster handling, map projections, and coordinate transformations

• Experience implementing real-time, low-latency data pipelines on Android using sockets, WebSockets, MQTT, gRPC, or Protobuf, with strong multithreading and offline-first design discipline

• Experience designing UIs and interaction patterns for ruggedized Android devices used outdoors, accounting for sunlight visibility, gloved operation, and unreliable networks

• Ability to work effectively within a cross-functional team alongside backend, autonomy, and field engineers

• Comfort working independently with limited oversight

• Ability to remain calm and effective under operational pressure

Additional Desired Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science or related field.

• ATAK (Android Team Awareness Kit) plugin development experience

• Familiarity with the broader TAK ecosystem including TAK Server, WinTAK, and iTAK, and with Cursor on Target (CoT) messaging

• Prior experience developing software for drone control, ground control stations, or MAVLink-based systems

• Experience supporting military, defense, or first-responder application deployments

• Familiarity with MIL-STD-2525 military symbology and tactical map presentation conventions

• Experience with offline map caching, tile management, and large geospatial dataset handling on resource-constrained devices

• Familiarity with secure software development practices including code signing, obfuscation, and FIPS-compliant cryptography

• Experience with desktop GIS tools such as QGIS or ArcGIS, or geospatial libraries such as GDAL, GeoTools, or JTS

• Experience contributing to open-source mobile or geospatial projects

• U.S. security clearance or ability to obtain one

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Must be able to walk, stand, and navigate large indoor and outdoor facilities for extended periods of time.

• Ability to lift, carry, and move materials and equipment weighing up to 25 lbs on a regular basis.

• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required in designated areas or when performing specific tasks, in accordance with safety protocols and company policy.

• May be required to climb ladders, stoop, kneel, or crouch during inspections, maintenance walk-throughs, or emergency response situations.

• Regular exposure to facility operations including noise, dust, temperature fluctuations, and industrial equipment.

• Occasional off-hours or weekend work required for emergency facility responses or projects as needed

• Requires frequent use of a computer and other standard office equipment for documentation, communication, and coordination tasks.

• Requirement to travel up to 25% of the time, based on customer integration needs and operational requirements.

Background Check

This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with a criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal and state law.

EEO and ITAR/EAR Work Authorization Disclosure

Red Cat Holdings provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Successful candidates for positions subject to ITAR/EAR restrictions must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence and must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.

E-Verify

The company participates E-Verify ensure eligibility for employment and compliance with Right to Work rules.

Compensation: Salary Range 132K - 183K, plus generous annual equity package and potential bonuses.