Mission Autonomy Lead

Responsibilities

• Own the autonomy software architecture for planning, execution, perception, and debrief using open modular architecture standards.
• Design mission planning systems and mission execution software for autonomous aviation operations.
• Own perception systems that sense and interpret the vehicle’s environment.
• Develop mission debrief capabilities for post-mission analysis and continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain software development infrastructure, including simulation and SITL/HITL capabilities.
• Define interfaces between the autonomy stack and vehicle management system in accordance with MOSA principles.
• Manage autonomy deliverables and MBSE artifacts across development phases.
• Provide technical mentorship to software and systems engineers.
• Develop test and simulation fixtures for autonomy validation.
• Represent the autonomy subsystem in technical and customer meetings and coordinate integration with Mission Systems and Vehicle Systems.
• Travel up to 25% to test sites and customer locations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• 5+ years of experience in autonomous systems, robotics, or AI/ML.
• Experience delivering software through full product development cycles.
• Demonstrated experience with autonomous navigation, planning, or perception systems.
• Experience with modeling, simulation, and SITL/HITL testing.
• Experience developing safety-critical or high-assurance software.
• Proficiency in C++ and/or Python for real-time and mission-critical software systems.
• Experience with Linux-based embedded or real-time operating systems.
• Experience with version control and CI/CD tooling such as Git, Jenkins, or GitLab CI.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance.
• Preferred qualifications include autonomous aviation experience, ROS/ROS2, behavior trees, mission planning frameworks, computer vision, EO/IR sensor processing, distributed software architectures, edge computing, MOSA/WOSA, MBSE tooling, containerization, aviation simulation, real-time middleware, embedded cross-compilation, static analysis, formal verification, and certification-adjacent tooling.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package available at little to no cost to employees.
• Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers.
• The role requires travel of up to 25% to test sites and customer locations.