Job DescriptionWe are looking for an Autonomy & Software Engineer to own the intelligence layer of our AUV from flight controller integration and mission planning to sensor fusion and real-time decision-making. This is a high-impact role at a fast-moving startup where you will shape the architecture of a system that operates in one of the most challenging environments on Earth. We are looking for an engineer with deep, hands-on expertise in autonomy and software, but with enough breadth across adjacent domains electronics, sensors, and field systems to work effectively across a small, cross-functional team.
RESPONSIBILTIES
Autonomy & Mission Planning
- Design and implement the full autonomy stack for AUV mission execution, including behavior trees,
state machines, and task sequencing - Develop and tune waypoint navigation, path planning, and dynamic obstacle avoidance algorithms
- Own the integration of ArduSub / PX4 flight controller firmware with the high-level software stack
Sensor Integration & State Estimation
- Integrate and fuse data from IMU, DVL, depth sensors, and acoustic positioning systems
- Implement and maintain localization pipelines (EKF/UKF) for underwater navigation without GPS
- Developing custom sensor fusion techniques and implementing state-of-the-art models for state estimation and localization
Software Architecture & Infrastructure
- Build and maintain the ROS2-based software architecture across onboard compute platforms
- Write clean, tested, well-documented C++ and Python code with a focus on reliability in embedded environments
- Develop simulation environments in platforms like NVIDIA Isaac Sim.
- Build, test and maintain firmware code (ROS2, Python, C++) for the AUV.
- Set up and manage testing, version control practices, and software documentation
Cross-Functional & Field Work
- Support field testing and offshore deployments (This is a hands-on role)
- Collaborate closely with the Electrical Engineer on low-level firmware and hardware-software interfaces (CAN, UART, I2C, SPI)
- Contribute to system-level architecture decisions as part of a small founding engineering team
RequirementsREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 2-3 years of hands-on experience building autonomous robotic systems (full-time, internship, or substantial research/project work)
- Solid understanding of core software development principles and practices
- Strong knowledge of motion planning, obstacle avoidance and basic control systems
- Experience in building autonomous robots with state of the art models and techniques Strong proficiency in Python and C++ in a robotics or embedded context Deep experience with ROS2 (nodes, topics, services, actions, custom message types) Demonstrated experience integrating and tuning flight controllers such as ArduSub, ArduPilot, or PX4
- Working knowledge of state estimation and sensor fusion (IMU, DVL, barometer, or similar)
- Comfortable with Linux environments, Git, and standard software engineering practices Ability to write reliable, maintainable code that runs on resource-constrained hardware
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with underwater robotics (AUVs, ROVs) or marine/subsea systems
Experience with NVIDIA Jetson, Raspberry Pi, Arduino or other microcontrollers - Familiarity with acoustic positioning systems (DVL, USBL, LBL) or underwater comms protocols
- Simulation experience with Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or similar environments
- Basic electronics skills, reading schematics, debugging hardware-software interface issues
- Experience with computer vision, sonar image processing, or onboard ML inference
- Exposure to systems like Blue Robotics hardware, Water Linked systems, or similar AUV platforms Background in competitive robotics (RoboSub, RobotX, etc.)
Benefits- Ownership of autonomy and software systems deployed in the field
- Work on real robotic systems operating in extreme environments
- Rapid iteration between simulation, hardware, and testing
- Full-system scope across autonomy, controls, and embedded software
- Small, highly technical team with close collaboration Competitive compensation
