Manager of Engineering, Autonomy Capabilities (R5412)

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Lead and Grow the Team – Manage a team of autonomy engineers, typically 5–10 people. Own performance, growth, leveling, engagement, and delivery while providing regular coaching, feedback, and technical mentorship.
• Build the Team – Identify the skills needed within your area, partner closely with recruiting, conduct interviews, maintain a high hiring bar, and help close and onboard strong candidates.
• Own Technical Delivery – Lead autonomy capabilities from initial design through integration, validation, and field deployment.
• Set Technical Direction – Define technical approaches and architectures for mission autonomy, balancing reuse of existing Shield AI capabilities with new development required for specific platforms and missions.
• Develop Tactical Autonomy – Guide the development of motion planning, tactical behaviors, multi-agent coordination, track fusion, perception-aware decision-making, and weapons- or sensor-target assignment for platforms…
• Remain Technically Engaged – Stay close to the code and contribute directly where it provides the most value, including prototyping capabilities, reviewing critical designs, investigating difficult problems, and…
• Drive Engineering and Integration Rigor – Ensure the team develops high-performance, well-tested software with clear interfaces and the reliability required for operational deployment.
• Navigate Ambiguity and Changing Priorities – Make sound technical, staffing, and sequencing decisions when requirements are incomplete or program priorities shift.

Job requirements

• BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; or 5 years with a master’s degree;
• Experience leading and developing engineers as a people manager, team lead, feature lead, or similar technical leadership role, including mentoring, providing feedback, and coordinating team delivery.
• Track record of leading a technical team or major capability from initial design through integration, validation, and field delivery.
• Significant experience with robotics or autonomous systems, including areas such as motion planning, tactical behaviors, decision-making, controls, or multi-agent coordination.
• Strong proficiency in C++, with experience developing production-quality software for real-time, robotics, or autonomy systems.
• Experience with unmanned systems, autonomy simulation environments, and software- or hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Strong systems-level problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. SECRET security clearance.