VP Autonomy

Flyability; Schweiz; Hybrid; CHF 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 vacation days per year

Remote work up to 2 days per week

Accident insurance

Gym discounts

Swibeco discounts

Team events

Job summary

Flyability is a Swiss robotics scale-up seeking a VP Autonomy to shape the future of autonomous drones in Lausanne. You will lead the autonomy stack across SLAM, navigation, mapping, and spatial AI, turning ambitious tech into real-world capabilities and guiding the next generation of intelligent flying robots.

With 8+ years in robotics and strong leadership, you will hire, coach, and grow teams, define strategy, manage risk, and align autonomy with product goals, while collaborating closely

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Robotics or related field.
• 8+ years in robotics/autonomous systems with leadership experience.
• Strong domain knowledge in autonomous robotics: SLAM, VIO, path planning, 3D mapping, AI perception.
• Proven track record deploying autonomy on real hardware shipped to customers.
• Ability to coach, develop and grow teams.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Professional fluency in English; French is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the autonomy team with clear governance and structure.
• Define and drive strategic vision for autonomy stack across SLAM, navigation, mapping, spatial AI.
• Own delivery and maintenance of autonomy stack across hardware platforms.
• Ensure system-level trade-offs align with product goals.
• Oversee autonomy system risk management, verification and validation.
• Set team priorities and allocate resources to roadmap commitments.

Skills

engineering leadership

team management

autonomous robotics

SLAM

VIO

path planning

3D mapping

AI perception

English fluency

Education

Master's or PhD in Robotics

Job description

Do you want to dive in the fast-growing industry of drones and get a rewarding experience in a dynamic scale-up environment?

At Flyability, we believe that robots should be sent into hazardous places and dangerous environments instead of humans. To support our belief, we created Elios, the world’s first collision-tolerant flying robot that can safely enter, survey, and inspect confined spaces so that people don’t have to. With more than 150 employees and 1’500 customers, Flyability is the market leader in the UAS indoor inspection industry. Joining Flyability is not just taking on a new job; it is seizing the opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people and contribute to the future of robotics.

To complete our creative and dynamic team in Lausanne, we are seeking a:

VP Autonomy (100%)
Starting date: as soon as possible

Your role:

A rare opportunity to shape the future of autonomous robotics in a company with mature products, thousands of robots deployed, and customers relying on them every day. As VP Autonomy, you will tackle cutting-edge robotics challenges while leading Flyability’s autonomy strategy and engineering teams across SLAM, navigation, mapping, and spatial AI. Reporting directly to the VP Engineering, you will turn ambitious technology into real-world capabilities and drive the next generation of intelligent flying robots.

What you will own:

• Hire, develop, and retain talent, ensuring people are in roles where they can succeed; provide clear feedback, coaching, and accountability while removing roadblocks to their performance.
• Lead and grow the autonomy team, establishing clear governance, accountabilities, processes, and team structure.
• Define and drive the strategic vision for Flyability’s autonomy stack across SLAM, navigation, mapping, and spatial AI.
• Own the delivery, deployment, and maintenance of the autonomy stack across existing and future hardware platforms.
• Ensure system-level trade-offs across hardware, sensors, software, cloud platforms, and autonomy are properly driven and aligned with product goals.
• Oversee autonomy system risk management, verification and validation across simulation, integration, and flight testing.
• Set team priorities and allocate resources across initiatives to match roadmap commitments and company priorities.

Your profile:

• Master’s or PhD degree in Robotics or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in robotics or autonomous systems, with strong engineering leadership and team management experience.
• Strong domain knowledge in autonomous robotics, with deep expertise in one or more areas such as SLAM, VIO, path planning, 3D mapping, or AI perception.
• A proven track record of deploying autonomy on real hardware product shipped to customers.
• A genuine drive to coach, develop, and grow people and teams.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Professional fluency in English; French is a plus.

Benefits

Perks & Benefits You’ll Love:

• Enjoy 25 vacation days per year, plus all public holidays to recharge and explore
• Additional days off are granted based on your seniority with us, up to 5 days .
• Stay secure with comprehensive accident insurance covering medical treatments and hospitalization.
• Work your way with flexible schedules and the option to work remotely up to 2 days per week.
• Boost your well-being with discounts on gym memberships and sports events.
• Access exclusive benefits through Swibeco, our platform that offers discounts and rewards at a wide range of retailers and services.
• Connect with your team at exciting events like our ski weekend, summer barbecue, and after-work gatherings

Flyability is a Swiss company with over 10 years of experience that values independent thinking combined with a collaborative spirit. Every day, you will have the opportunity to share your ideas and contribute to solving problems. We all work together, and each voice is considered as we collaborate to achieve our goals.

Ready to join?
We know the confidence gap and impostor syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates, so please don't hesitate to apply —regardless of your past experience or resume, we'd love to hear from you.

Automated Screening Notice: Please note that Flyability uses automated eligibility questions as part of our initial screening process. If your application does not meet these mandatory requirements, it will be automatically excluded from further consideration. If you submit an application and believe it was incorrectly excluded by the system, you have the right to request a manual review. Please reach out to our HR team at [e-mail] to request human intervention.