Senior Staff Autonomy and Robotics Engineer

About the position Responsibilities • Designing, implementing, and validating multi-vehicle autonomous behaviors, including collaborative formation control and dynamic mission execution. • Developing and integrating sensor-driven perception capabilities to enable autonomous situational awareness, target tracking, and environmental understanding. • Translating academic research into robust, field-ready autonomy software for maritime robotic platforms. • Collaborating with engineers, researchers, and system integrators to ensure seamless coordination between autonomy, perception, and broader mission systems. • Leading simulation-based development and real-world testing of autonomous USVs, from early prototyping to live sea trials. • Contributing to software architecture design, system integration planning, and autonomy stack scalability. • Presenting technical work to internal stakeholders, external partners, and DoD customers; contributing to publications and demonstrations as needed. • Participating in R&D proposal development, strategic planning, and pursuit of advanced autonomy programs sponsored by DARPA, ONR, and other government agencies. • Mentoring junior engineers and helping grow Saab's autonomy capabilities in the San Diego region. Requirements • MS or PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline. • 7+ years of experience in autonomy, robotics, or intelligent systems; relevant academic research experience may be considered. • Demonstrated expertise in collaborative robotics, multi-agent autonomy, or formation control for mobile platforms. • Strong proficiency in integrating perception systems (e.g., radar, EO/IR, LIDAR) into autonomous behavior pipelines. • Experience developing and deploying robotic autonomy in simulation and hardware environments. • Proficiency in C++ and Python; familiarity with robotics frameworks such as ROS, DDS, or similar. • Proven ability to bring research concepts through to fieldable, real-world robotic systems. • The ability to obtain a U.S. DoD SECRET security clearance. • Willingness and ability to travel (up to 25%) for demonstrations, field tests, and collaborative meetings. Nice-to-haves • Familiarity with distributed autonomy architectures, decentralized decision-making. • Familiarity with planning and control techniques such as Model Predictive Control (MPC), Model Predictive Path Integral Control (MPPI), Rapidly-Exploring Random Trees (RRT), and A search algorithms. • Background in maritime autonomy, vehicle coordination, or sensor fusion. • Prior involvement with DoD research programs and proposal development. • Comfort working across interdisciplinary teams, including software, perception, and systems integration. • Experience working in hybrid teams with academic collaborators, government customers, and defense integrators. Benefits • Medical, vision, and dental insurance for employees and dependents • Generous paid time off, including 8 designated holidays • 401(k) with employer contributions • Tuition assistance and student loan assistance • Wellness and employee assistance resources • Employee stock purchase opportunities • Short-term and long-term disability coverage