Software Engineer, Autonomous Systems
Summary
Designs, builds and deploys production C++ autonomy software onboard Saildrone's autonomous maritime vessels, working across perception, localization, planning and collision avoidance with sensor fusion (radar/camera), Nvidia Jetson onboard compute, ROS and Python tooling. Hybrid role based in Alameda, CA (3 days/week in office).
Software Engineer, Autonomous Systems
Company: Confidential — maritime defense company
Location: Alameda, CA (hybrid, 3 days per week in office)
Compensation: $210,000 - $300,000 + equity
Employment Type: Full-time
Visa Sponsorship: Confirm with recruiter (defense work)
About the Company
The client is a maritime defense company whose autonomous vessels deliver persistent, wide-area intelligence in the world's harshest environments, harnessing AI, advanced sensor suites and renewable power.
Founded in 2014, the client has raised $300M; its Alameda waterfront HQ has direct access to the lagoon where vessels are launched and tested.
The Role
The client is hiring a Software Engineer (5+ years) in autonomous systems or robotics with strong C++ and hands-on experience shipping autonomy software on real vehicles, across perception, localization, planning, decision-making and vehicle behavior.
What You Will Do
- Design, implement and deploy production autonomy software in C++ onboard autonomous maritime vehicles.
- Develop algorithms for perception, localization, planning, navigation and collision/terrain avoidance.
- Contribute to sensor fusion across radar, camera and other modalities.
- Build local and global planners that use map and sensor data.
- Make practical trade-offs on constrained onboard compute (Nvidia Jetson).
- Validate behavior with simulation, telemetry and real-world data, building your own Python tooling.
What You Bring
- 5+ years in autonomous systems or robotics software
- Strong C++
- Shipped production autonomy algorithms on physical hardware
- Comfort across the full autonomy stack
Nice to Have
- Autonomous driving, aerospace, defense or maritime experience
- ROS, sensor fusion and GPU computing
Tech Stack
C++, Python, Nvidia Jetson, ROS, sensor fusion, simulation, Linux, computer vision, motion planning
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