Job Description
About Praetorian
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Praetorian Aeronautics builds advanced autonomous aerial systems designed to protect and defend against the rapidly evolving threat of drone warfare.
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Headquartered in Adelaide and with office locations across Melbourne, Darwin and Brisbane, we are developing an integrated ecosystem of counter-autonomy systems including:
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Dagger - a modular autonomous interceptor designed to defeat Group 2-3 drone threats
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Hadrian - an AI-enhanced command and control system enabling operators to deploy interceptors at scale
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Venator - a long-endurance autonomous mothership UAS capable of deploying interceptors and extending operational reach
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Together, these systems enable defence operators to detect, assess, and defeat autonomous threats while maintaining situational dominance in contested environments.
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Why This Role Matters
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Drone swarms represent one of the fastest-growing threats in modern warfare. Hadrian provides the command and control layer that allows operators to understand swarm behaviour, plan responses, and coordinate autonomous interceptors.
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As a Software Engineer on Hadrian, you'll help build the platform that turns advanced autonomy research into operational defence capability.
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The Role
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You'll develop core services and systems within the Hadrian platform that support swarm analysis, mission coordination, and operational decision-making.
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Working in Rust,



you'll contribute to the command-and-control software that connects Praetorian's autonomous defence systems and enables them to operate together in complex environments.
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What You'll Do
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Develop high-performance services supporting counter-UAS operations
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Work with AI researchers to integrate algorithms into operational software
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Build and maintain Rust applications and services on Linux
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Test and optimise software to ensure reliability in operational environments
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What We're Looking For
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8+ years experience writing efficient system-level software
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Strong programming experience in Rust, C++ or similar languages
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A degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience
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Experience contributing to complex or distributed software systems
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Solid understanding of software architecture and development practices
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Nice to Have
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Experience with embedded Linux or cross-platform system development
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Experience working with Nix
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Experience programming in Python
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Experience with autonomous systems, robotics, or unmanned vehicles
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Immediate mode UI experience
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Benefits
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Competitive salary and employee share option plan (ESOP)
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Work on advanced autonomy and defence technology
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Join a small, highly technical engineering team
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Real ownership and influence as Praetorian scales
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Professional development and learning opportunities
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📌 Senior Software Engineer (Queensland)
🏢 Praetorian Aeronautics
📍 Queensland