Lead Software Engineer | Robotics | SLAM | Autonomy

Reqiva; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Reqiva is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to own architecture for autonomous robotics systems, including SLAM, perception, and embedded control in real hardware deployments.

You'll lead cross-disciplinary teams across ML, control, and hardware, shape system architecture, mentor engineers, and drive field-ready solutions from prototype to production in a fast-growing Australian deep-tech environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of commercial software engineering experience with leadership exposure.
• Robotics, image processing, control systems, or related domains.
• Strong state estimation knowledge: SLAM, Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, GNSS integration.
• Hands-on Rust or strong C++ with Rust exposure.
• Experience bringing complex systems from prototype to production.
• Excellent performance optimization at algorithmic and systems levels.
• Embedded Linux experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of an embedded computer vision and control system.
• Collaborate with ML, control systems and hardware teams to deliver full-stack solutions.
• Define and drive scalable software architecture for new product features and platform capabilities.
• Lead troubleshooting, testing, optimisation and technical decision-making during live field testing.
• Mentor engineers through technical coaching, code reviews and day-to-day leadership.

Skills

Software engineering

Technical leadership

Robotics

Image processing

Control systems

State estimation

Sensor fusion

GNSS integration

C++

Rust

Embedded Linux

Performance optimization

Tools

C++

Rust

Job description

Lead Software Engineer | Robotics | SLAM | Autonomy

We're working with a fast-growing Australian deep-tech company building autonomous systems - real hardware, deployed into the field.

They're looking for a Lead Engineer to take ownership of complex engineering initiatives spanning robotics, autonomy and embedded computer vision - from architecture through to field validation. This isn't a role sitting behind a spec; you'll be defining the system architecture yourself, working closely with ML, control systems and hardware teams to build the backbone of an evolving product.

About you

• Comfortable leading complex, end-to-end engineering initiatives with a high degree of autonomy
• Strong systems-level thinking and architectural design capability
• Proven track record mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership across teams
• Able to balance genuine hands-on delivery with strategic engineering direction

What you'll be doing

• Leading the development of an embedded computer vision and control system
• Working across ML, control systems and hardware teams to deliver robust, full-stack solutions
• Defining and driving scalable software architecture for new product features and platform capabilities
• Leading troubleshooting, testing, optimisation and technical decision-making during live field testing
• Mentoring engineers through technical coaching, code reviews and day-to-day leadership

What you'll bring

• 8+ years of commercial software engineering, including 2+ years operating at a technical leadership level
• Strong experience in robotics, image processing, control systems, or an adjacent domain
• A solid understanding of state estimation techniques - SLAM, Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, GNSS integration, or similar probabilistic estimation methods
• Hands-on Rust experience, or strong C++ with meaningful exposure to Rust
• A track record of taking complex systems from prototype through to production
• Deep understanding of performance optimisation at both the algorithmic and systems level
• Comfortable working across embedded and Linux environments

Preferred background:

Genuine hands-on experience with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), robotics, or Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) is highly regarded. This role sits at the intersection of perception, estimation and autonomy - candidates coming from robotics platforms, autonomous vehicles, drones, or similar real-world autonomous systems tend to hit the ground running.

Why Apply?

Genuine ownership from day one - you're not inheriting a mature codebase, you're shaping the system architecture itself. Cross-disciplinary work spanning optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware - rare to get that breadth in one role.