Worker Type

Job Description

 

Summary

AeroVironment (AV) is seeking a technically skilled and customer-focused Software Operations Support Engineer to support the deployment, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of ARGUS, our advanced wireless Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS). ARGUS is deployed at customer facilities to provide reliable perimeter security and intrusion detection capabilities for critical infrastructure, defense, and commercial applications.

The Software Operations Support Engineer will be responsible for ensuring the continued reliable operation of ARGUS software systems deployed at customer sites, including Linux-based servers, cloud-hosted infrastructure, databases, and custom software applications. This position will provide remote technical support, perform software installations and updates, diagnose and resolve operational issues, and work closely with software engineering, systems engineering, field service personnel, and customers to maintain system availability and performance.

The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in Linux system administration, software troubleshooting, networking, and database technologies, along with practical experience diagnosing issues in applications developed using Java, Python, Bash, and related technologies. This position requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to independently investigate and resolve technical issues in deployed production environments.

Citizenship & Clearance

• We can only accept applicants that are US Citizens.
• Must be willing and able to obtain a security clearance if needed.

Position Responsibilities

• Software Operations & Maintenance: Provide ongoing remote operational support for deployed ARGUS systems, including Linux-based servers, cloud-hosted infrastructure, databases, and application software. Monitor system health, investigate performance or availability issues, and perform preventive and corrective maintenance to ensure reliable system operation.
• Software Installation & Deployment: Install, configure, upgrade, and validate ARGUS software on new and existing customer systems. Perform software updates, patches, configuration changes, and migrations while minimizing disruption to customer operations and maintaining appropriate version and configuration control.
• Technical Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution: Diagnose and resolve issues involving Linux operating systems, application services, databases, network connectivity, software configuration, and custom applications developed in Java, Python, Bash, and other technologies. Analyze system logs, application logs, database behavior, and diagnostic information to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Customer Technical Support: Serve as a technical point of contact for software-related operational issues at deployed customer sites. Respond to support requests, assess issue severity, communicate troubleshooting progress, and coordinate with customers, field service personnel, and internal engineering teams to resolve issues in accordance with contractual support commitments.
• System Administration & Security: Administer Linux-based systems, including user accounts, permissions, services, system resources, network configurations, and software dependencies. Support secure remote access, system hardening, security patching, backups, and recovery procedures in coordination with applicable cybersecurity requirements and policies.
• Database & Application Support: Investigate database connectivity, configuration, performance, and data integrity issues. Troubleshoot interactions between application services, databases, and cloud-based components, and perform appropriate database administration and maintenance activities.
• Engineering Collaboration & Continuous Improvement: Work closely with software developers and other engineering disciplines to investigate complex software defects, reproduce operational issues, identify root causes, and validate corrective actions. Recommend and implement improvements to deployment processes, diagnostic tools, monitoring capabilities, and support procedures.
• Documentation & Operational Readiness: Develop and maintain technical documentation, installation instructions, troubleshooting guides, maintenance procedures, system configuration records, and support knowledge bases. Document support activities, technical findings, corrective actions, and recurring issues to improve support efficiency and product reliability.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• 3+ years of professional experience in software technical support, Linux system administration, application operations, DevOps, systems engineering, or a closely related technical role.
• Strong hands-on experience administering and troubleshooting Linux-based systems, including command-line tools, system services, processes, file systems, permissions, networking, package management, and log analysis.
• Working knowledge of software development and scripting, including the ability to read, understand, troubleshoot, and make limited modifications to applications or scripts written in Python, Java, and Bash.
• Experience installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting software applications and their dependencies in production or customer-deployed environments.
• Familiarity with relational databases and SQL, including the ability to investigate database connectivity, queries, performance, and application/database interactions.
• Understanding of TCP/IP networking, DNS, firewalls, VPNs, SSH, and other technologies commonly used to support distributed software systems and secure remote access.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills, with the ability to independently resolve technical issues and work effectively with customers and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Other Qualification & Desired Competencies

• Experience supporting commercially deployed software products, distributed systems, or customer-hosted applications operating in production environments.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure and services, particularly AWS or Microsoft Azure, including virtual machines, networking, storage, access management, and monitoring.
• Familiarity with PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, or similar relational database management systems.
• Experience with software deployment automation, configuration management, CI/CD pipelines, Git, Docker, or related DevOps tools and practices.
• Experience implementing monitoring, alerting, logging, backup, recovery, and other operational reliability capabilities.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity best practices, vulnerability remediation, secure system administration, and access control in customer-facing environments.
• Experience with Java application environments, REST APIs, web services, and troubleshooting interactions between distributed software components.
• Experience supporting physical security systems, industrial systems, IoT devices, wireless sensor networks, or other hardware/software integrated products.
• Experience supporting defense, government, critical infrastructure, or other security-sensitive customers and environments.
• Additional Expectations
• Ability to provide responsive technical support for operational customer systems, including occasional support outside normal business hours when required by customer commitments.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize multiple technical support requests, and effectively manage issues through resolution.
• Willingness to participate in occasional travel to customer sites for installation, troubleshooting, maintenance, or system upgrades, as needed.
• Commitment to maintaining accurate technical documentation, protecting customer information, and following established change management and cybersecurity procedures.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Ability to work in an office and manufacturing environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer mouse and keyboard (Frequent)

Clearance Level

 

The salary range for this role is:

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits:  AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company matching, and flexible work schedule options. Depending on your business unit, role, and customer contract requirements, select programs may offer a 9/80 work schedule and paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit:  http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply.  NO agencies please.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR