Build & Release Engineer

About Overwatch: 

Overwatch Imaging is an imagery intelligence technology company working to bring sensor autonomy to time-critical airborne search, detection, tracking and monitoring missions. Our Automated Sensor Operator (ASO) software, native to our own line of purpose-built Smart Sensors and as an upgrade for airborne video gimbal platforms, brings Superhuman Vision and Workload Reduction to users of real-time imagery intelligence systems. We fundamentally believe that modern edge processing and AI-enabled autonomy can perform an important set of time-critical imagery intelligence missions better, faster and more safely than humans can alone. 

Founded in 2016 in Hood River, Oregon, we support private sector companies as well as federal, state and local agencies around the world with missions ranging from wildfire mapping and disaster response to law enforcement, border security, maritime domain awareness and tactical intelligence. 

About this Role:

Overwatch is seeking a Build & Release Engineer to own and evolve how we build, package, and deploy our C++ based software across Jetson-based edge systems and x86 environments while ensuring that builds are fast, reliable, and reproducible, and that deployments work consistently in real-world and air-gapped environments.

What You'll Do:

Build System Ownership

Continuously improve the C++ build ecosystem, including:

Improve the structure and evolution of our CMake based build system  

Improve build performance, modularity, and long-term maintainability  

Ensure the build system scales with codebase complexity and remains understandable to the team  

Drive consistency across C++, Python, and emerging Rust components  

Dependency & Packaging Systems

Establish reliable, reproducible approaches to dependency management and packaging

Ensure consistency across development, CI, and deployed systems

Improve how build artifacts are versioned, distributed, and consumed

Infrastructure Reliability

Own the reliability and scalability of build and CI systems across x86 and ARM (Jetson) environments  

Improve infrastructure consistency and maintainability

Reduce instability and flakiness in builds and test execution  

System Visibility & Reliability

Improve visibility into build health, failures, and performance  

Ensure issues are diagnosable and actionable 

Enable engineers to trust the build and release system

What You'll Bring:

Core Experience

B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience  

5+ years of experience in C++ build systems, build/release engineering, or similar roles

Experience working in Linux-based development environments  

Technical Strengths

Build system design, structure, and performance optimization

Dependency management and packaging systems 

CI/build infrastructure in multi-architecture environments (x86 + ARM) 

Bonus Experience

Jetson or other ARM-based systems

Cross-compilation environments

Offline or air-gapped deployments

Mixed-langage builds (C++, CUDA, Rust, Python)

Deployment of machine learning models to TensorRT environments

Offline or air-gapped deployment, installer systems, and upgrade/migration workflows

What Success Looks Like:

Build system is clear, modular, and scalable

Developer workflows and build results are consistent and aligned

Builds are fast, reliable, and reproducible across environments

Dependency and packaging systems are consistent and predictable

Build infrastructure is stable and low-maintenance

Packaged software is reliable and deterministic

What We Offer:

Growth Opportunities: As a team member of a true startup, you will learn by doing and shape our future. The opportunities are limitless for those who want to grow their career. 

Impact Opportunity: We work on missions that matter to keep people safe and make the world better, and we do it at the speed of a startup. 

Team Collaboration: Work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with amazing teammates. The Overwatch Imaging leadership team believes in an open-door policy, meaning everyone has a voice and access to guidance, advice, feedback, and the ability to pitch crazy new ideas. 

Late Start Wednesday: A weekly block to have focus time away from meetings and calls. An opportunity to work from home, flex your schedule or self-directed time to focus on training and development. 

Time Off: Generous unlimited PTO policy to empower employees to make decisions about work life balance based on work and home needs. 

Holidays: Overwatch Imaging recognizes 10 company holidays. 

Ownership: Equity: Stock Options in our growing company. 

Health Benefits: Medical and Dental premiums are 100% covered for employees and their families, plus a pre-tax health savings account. 

401K Retirement Savings: Matching contributions up to 4% of pay. 

Travel: Position requires business travel up to 50% and work in and around non-commercial aircraft. 

All applicants must be authorized to work on a permanent basis in the United States.

Overwatch Imaging is an equal opportunity workplace and makes employment decisions based on merit and business needs, regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or any other protected personal characteristic.

Export Control Compliance Notice
This position may involve access to data, technology, or software that is subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). As such, employment is contingent upon the applicant’s ability to obtain any necessary export authorization, as determined by an export compliance assessment conducted by the company.