Senior Autonomy Architect - Systems, Simulation & Field Trials

Vivid Resourcing Ltd; England; On-site; GBP 92,000 - 166,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

6 months contract

Freelance / Contract

Outside IR35

Senior / Lead

UK travel

Job summary

Vivid Resourcing Ltd is seeking an experienced Autonomy Systems Architect to drive end-to-end architecture for a complex autonomous platform. The role covers onboard services, remote operations, mission management, communications, simulation environments and payload interfaces.

You will lead cross-disciplinary teams, define how software, sensors, control systems and platforms interact, and oversee verification strategies from SIL/HIL to field trials. UK travel is expected.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience architecting end-to-end autonomous or cyber-physical systems.
• Experience in domains like UAV/UAS, robotics, aerospace, defence, autonomous vehicles, automotive or maritime.
• Strong understanding of autonomy functions, system behaviour, safety and decision-making.
• Ability to translate requirements into architectures, interfaces and delivery plans.
• Experience defining modular architectures, APIs, data flows and deployment boundaries.
• Experience integrating software, networks, sensors and physical platforms.
• Experience using simulation, SIL, HIL, testing and trials.
• Knowledge of safety engineering and assurance in autonomous systems.
• Maintaining requirements and verification traceability across multidisciplinary systems.
• Evaluating suppliers and managing cross-team integration.
• Excellent communication skills for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Degree qualification or equivalent experience in a related discipline.
• Eligibility to obtain UK Security Clearance.
• Full UK driving licence and ability to travel within UK/overseas.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the target and reference architecture for the autonomy stack across onboard services, ROCs, mission management and interfaces.
• Define functional boundaries between architectural layers, including safe-state behaviours and fault handling.
• Own architecture views, APIs, ICDs, data models and telemetry schemas.
• Translate the engineering roadmap into autonomy delivery plans and acceptance criteria.
• Lead autonomy capability enhancements and ensure operational usefulness and assurance.
• Translate requirements into CONOPS, architectures, trade studies and verification strategies.
• Develop and maintain the autonomy capability map including maturity, ownership and release evidence.
• Define modular architectures and integration boundaries across software, networks, sensors and platforms.
• Govern reusable virtual integration and simulation environments.
• Lead verification activities using SIL, HIL, simulation and physical trials.
• Ensure traceability from requirements through verification and release.

Skills

Autonomy systems architecture

Systems engineering

Stakeholder communication

Education

Systems engineering degree

Tools

ROS 2

DDS

Job description

Vivid Resourcing Ltd is seeking an experienced Autonomy Systems Architect to drive end-to-end architecture for a complex autonomous platform. The role covers onboard services, remote operations, mission management, communications, simulation environments and payload interfaces.

You will lead cross-disciplinary teams, define how software, sensors, control systems and platforms interact, and oversee verification strategies from SIL/HIL to field trials. UK travel is expected.