Mission Autonomy Lead

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.ABOUT THE TEAMThe Maneuver Dominance team is building Thunder - an autonomous attack rotorcraft built to fight alongside crewed combat aviation to deliver overwhelming mass effects deep beyond the front lines. The team in London builds the Mission System and the autonomy that makes aircraft like Thunder work.Autonomy is only as good as the link that carries it. Thunder is a compact airframe with weapons, sensors and radios competing for the same antenna real estate, flying low and in formation, in a spectrum that is actively contested. That is the problem you would own.ABOUT THE JOBYou will own the Autonomy software stack within Mission Systems for a maritime autonomous vehicle, owning the software that enables autonomous mission execution. Reporting to the Mission Systems Lead, you will cover system design, mission planning, mission operations, perception, debrief, and software development infrastructure. You will define how the vehicle plans, executes, perceives, and learns from missions autonomously across long ranges of open ocean beyond line of sight.Your spectrum of support will be diverse in nature and require you to leverage your technical expertise as well as leadership skills to set objectives, build cross-functional teams, and rapidly drive to completion. The ability to leverage your intuition and prior experience will be key in making sure the right design, analysis, and test steps are completed to ensure success. The ideal candidate will leverage their experience executing and successfully completing prior highly optimized multi-disciplinary projects.Mission Autonomy Lead, ThunderOwn the autonomy software architecture — planning, execution, perception, and debrief — using open, modular architecture standards (MOSA/WOSA where applicable)Drive design of mission planning systems for autonomous aviation operationsDrive mission execution software that manages vehicle behavior during missionsOwn perception systems that enable the vehicle to sense and interpret its environmentDevelop mission debrief capabilities for post-mission analysis and continuous improvementBuild and maintain software development infrastructure (CI/CD, simulation, SITL/HITL)Define interfaces between the autonomy stack and vehicle management system in accordance with Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) principlesManage autonomy deliverables across development phases, including MBSE artifacts (e.g., SysML models, requirements traceability) as required by program systems engineeringpracticesProvide technical mentorship to software and systems engineersDrive development of test and simulation fixtures for autonomy validationRepresent the autonomy subsystem in technical and customer meetingsInterface with Mission Systems Lead and Vehicle Systems on integrationTravel up to 25% to test sites and customer locationsREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONSBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent5+ years of experience in autonomous systems, robotics, or AI/MLExperience delivering software through full product development cyclesDemonstrated experience with autonomous navigation, planning, or perception systemsExperience with modeling, simulation, and SITL/HITL testingExperience developing safety-critical or high-assurance softwareProficiency in C++ and/or Python for real-time and mission-critical software systemsExperience with Linux-based embedded or real-time operating systemsExperience with version control and CI/CD tooling (e.g., Git, Jenkins, GitLab CI)Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearancePREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSExperience with autonomous aviation systems (UAS, UAV, or manned-unmanned teaming)Working knowledge of ROS/ROS2, behavior trees, or mission planning frameworksExperience with computer vision, EO/IR sensor processing, or airborne perceptionFamiliarity with distributed software architectures and edge computingExperience designing to open systems architecture standards (MOSA/WOSA) for defense acquisition programsFamiliarity with MBSE tooling and digital engineering practices (SysML, Cameo, Jama, or similar)Familiarity with containerization and deployment tooling (Docker, Kubernetes) for edge/embedded deploymentExperience with simulation environments relevant to aviation/flight dynamics (e.g., Gazebo, JSBSim, X-Plane, or custom digital-twin sims)Experience with real-time middleware/pub-sub frameworks (DDS, ZeroMQ, or similar) for distributed autonomy systemsFamiliarity with cross-compilation and toolchains for embedded/resource-constrained compute (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson or other SWaP-optimized edge hardware)Experience with static analysis, formal verification, or certification-adjacent tooling (e.g., MISRA C++, DO-178C-adjacent practicesUS Salary Range$190,000—$250,000 USDThe salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: BenefitsAt Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.Protecting Yourself from Recruitment ScamsAnduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. 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