A

Anduril

Builds autonomous weapons for the US and allies

Mission Autonomy Lead - Thunder

Applied Machine LearningConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeCosta Mesa, CA, USA

About the Job

Requirements

  • A Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
  • At least 8 years of experience in autonomous systems, robotics, or artificial intelligence/machine learning.
  • Experience delivering software through full product development cycles.
  • Demonstrated experience with autonomous navigation, planning, or perception systems.
  • Experience with modeling, simulation, and software-in-the-loop/hardware-in-the-loop 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 continuous integration/continuous delivery tooling, such as Git, Jenkins, or GitLab CI.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

  • Own the autonomy software architecture for planning, execution, perception, and debrief using open, modular architecture standards, including Modular Open Systems Approach/Open Systems Architecture where applicable.
  • Drive the design of mission planning systems for autonomous aviation operations.
  • Drive mission execution software that manages vehicle behavior during missions.
  • Own perception systems that enable the vehicle to sense and interpret its environment.
  • Develop mission debrief capabilities for post-mission analysis and continuous improvement.
  • Build and maintain software development infrastructure, including continuous integration/continuous delivery, simulation, and software-in-the-loop/hardware-in-the-loop systems.
  • Define interfaces between the autonomy stack and vehicle management system in accordance with Modular Open Systems Approach principles.
  • Manage autonomy deliverables across development phases, including model-based systems engineering artifacts such as SysML models and requirements traceability, as required by program systems engineering practices.
  • Provide technical mentorship to software and systems engineers.
  • Drive development of test and simulation fixtures for autonomy validation.
  • Represent the autonomy subsystem in technical and customer meetings.
  • Interface with the Mission Systems Lead and Vehicle Systems on integration.
  • Travel up to 25% to test sites and customer locations.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience with autonomous aviation systems, including unmanned aircraft systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, or manned-unmanned teaming.
  • Working knowledge of behavior trees or mission planning frameworks.
  • Experience with computer vision, electro-optical/infrared sensor processing, or airborne perception.
  • Familiarity with distributed software architectures and edge computing.
  • Experience designing to open systems architecture standards, including Modular Open Systems Approach/Open Systems Architecture, for defense acquisition programs.
  • Familiarity with model-based systems engineering tooling and digital engineering practices, including SysML, Cameo, Jama, or similar tools.
  • Familiarity with containerization and deployment tooling, including Docker and Kubernetes, for edge/embedded deployment.
  • Experience with simulation environments relevant to aviation/flight dynamics, such as Gazebo, JSBSim, X-Plane, or custom digital-twin simulations.
  • Experience with real-time middleware/pub-sub frameworks, such as DDS or ZeroMQ, for distributed autonomy systems.
  • Familiarity with cross-compilation and toolchains for embedded/resource-constrained compute, such as NVIDIA Jetson or other SWaP-optimized edge hardware.
  • Experience with static analysis, formal verification, or certification-adjacent tooling, such as MISRA C++ or DO-178C-adjacent practices.

About the Company

Anduril

Builds autonomous weapons for the US and allies

Anduril builds autonomous weapons, such as drones, cruise missiles, and robot submarines, for the US military and its allies, often developing them with its own money before any order arrives. In 2024 it beat Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman for an Air Force contract to develop Fury, a pilotless jet that flies alongside crewed fighters. Its Lattice software merges camera and radar feeds into one live map and lets a few operators direct many drones and weapons at once, including other companies' systems. Governments buy its systems under contract, and Anduril builds much of the hardware in its own factories. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey co-founded Anduril in 2017, and it is based in Costa Mesa, California.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
Private
Total funding
$11.5B
Headquarters
Costa Mesa, CA
Founded
2017

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at Anduril

See more jobs