(Senior) Backend Engineer C++ (All genders)

About this role

STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionizing the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments. We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems - not future promises.

In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe - today. Minerva is STARK's command and control software — the brain that connects operators to autonomous systems across multiple domains in real time. The Minerva team is a small, senior software group based in Berlin and Munich, working directly with our systems and hardware teams to build mission-critical C2 capabilities deployed in active operational environments.

We move fast, ship real software, and operate under constraints most engineers never encounter — low-bandwidth networks, air-gapped devices, high-stakes decision loops. There is no room for abstraction for its own sake. Everything we build ends up in the hands of real operators in the field . This is not a "standard" backend role. You won't be building CRUD apps for a web store. You will be building the high-performance, low-latency engine at the heart of Minerva Frontline, our Command & Control (C2) Software, enabling mission planning and operations of Aerial and Maritime asset swarms in real world conditions.

We are looking for C++ developers to build out our core server-side architecture enabling the increasingly complex CONOPS required by NATO’s Armed forces. You will be responsible for how we maintain a global battlefield state, how we translate high-level operator intents into machine-executable actions, and how we stream real-time telemetry to the frontline. You will work in a high-density engineering environment alongside robotics, safety, and mission planning experts.

If you care about RAII, memory safety, and squeezing every ounce of performance out of real hardware in the field to ensure mission success, this is the role. What You'll Build The System Brain: You will develop the core C++ services that orchestrate UAV and USV swarms, maintaining a synchronized and robust battlefield state across distributed systems. Mission Control APIs: You will design and implement high-performance gRPC and REST APIs that bridge the gap between our frontend C2 interface and the autonomous vehicles in the field.