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Mission Autonomy Lead - Thunder

Anduril· Maritime & Maneuver Dominance
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Costa Mesa, CA$220k - $292kFull-timePosted 4w ago

About the role

Lead the Autonomy software stack for Anduril's Thunder autonomous attack rotorcraft, owning system design, mission planning, perception, debrief, and software development infrastructure to enable autonomous mission execution and learning across long-range, beyond line-of-sight operations.

Responsibilities

  • Own the autonomy software architecture — planning, execution, perception, and debrief — using open, modular architecture standards (MOSA/WOSA where applicable)
  • Drive 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 (CI/CD, simulation, SITL/HITL)
  • Define interfaces between the autonomy stack and vehicle management system in accordance with MOSA principles
  • Manage autonomy deliverables across development phases, including MBSE artifacts (e.g., SysML models, requirements traceability)
  • 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 Mission Systems Lead and Vehicle Systems on integration
  • Travel up to 25% to test sites and customer locations

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's, Masters, or PhD degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent
  • 8+ 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 (e.g., Git, Jenkins, GitLab CI)
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance

Skills

Required:Autonomy software architectureMission planning systemsPerception systems

Benefits

  • Comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees)
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Anduril

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