Lead - Autonomy (UAVs)

Unmannd; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity options

Collaboration with a skilled team

Job summary

A leading UAV technology company in Bengaluru, India is seeking an experienced Autonomy Lead to architect and build the full autonomy stack for UAVs. This role involves mentoring a team, developing core autonomy components, and optimizing performance on embedded platforms. Ideal candidates have 6+ years in robotics, expertise in motion planning and control theory, and proficiency in C++ and Python. Join us to influence UAV autonomy innovation and work with a talented team at the forefront of technology.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in robotics, autonomous systems, or UAV software.
• Proficient in C++ and Python with real-time systems experience.
• Hands-on experience with flight test environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement core components of the autonomy stack.
• Drive integration of perception, mapping, and navigation algorithms.
• Mentor and manage a team of engineers.

Skills

Motion planning (e.g., RRT*, A*, MPC)

Control theory (PID, LQR, nonlinear control)

C++

Python

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, Aerospace, Computer Science, or a related field

Tools

ROS

PX4/Ardupilot integration

Robot simulators (e.g., Gazebo, AirSim, Isaac Sim)

Job description

We're building deeply intelligent UAVs for defense forces - designed to out-think, outmaneuver, and dominate even in contested environments. Our mission is to give the armed forces an undeniable edge and help safeguard peace across borders. We move fast, challenge limits, and obsess over building technology that redefines what’s possible. If you are driven to build something truly transformational — then this is it.

Job Description

About the Role

As the Autonomy Lead, you will architect, build, and lead the development of the full autonomy stack—ranging from perception-informed navigation to path planning and robust control algorithms. You will collaborate closely with our firmware, perception, and systems integration teams to deploy real-time autonomy solutions on actual flight hardware.

You will also play a key leadership role: mentoring engineers, driving roadmap decisions, and ensuring high performance and reliability in mission-critical environments.

Key Responsibilities

Design and implement core components of the autonomy stack: state estimation, motion planning, trajectory generation, and control.

Drive the integration of perception, mapping, and localization systems into robust navigation algorithms.

Own the autonomy system architecture, ensuring it meets real-time, safety, and performance constraints.

Optimize for performance on embedded compute platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, PX4 Companion Computers).

Define the technical roadmap for the autonomy team in alignment with product and platform needs.

Mentor and manage a team of autonomy, controls, and navigation engineers.

Drive code quality, system reliability, and testing strategy, including simulation-in-the-loop (SITL) and real-world test flights.

Represent the autonomy function in cross-functional meetings with firmware, perception, hardware, and product teams.

Testing & Deployment

Develop simulation environments for autonomy testing (e.g., Gazebo, AirSim, or custom frameworks).

Validate algorithms through real-world flight testing and flight log analysis.

Collaborate with systems integration engineers to tune algorithms on physical platforms under various flight conditions.

Stay current with state-of-the-art developments in robotics, drone autonomy, and reinforcement learning.

Evaluate and integrate promising approaches from academia and industry (e.g., learning-based control, SLAM, dynamic path planning).

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, Aerospace, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 6+ years of experience in robotics, autonomous systems, or UAV software.
• Strong expertise in at least 2 of the following: motion planning (e.g., RRT*, A*, MPC), control theory (PID, LQR, nonlinear control).
• Proficient in C++ and Python, with experience in ROS, PX4/Ardupilot integration, and real-time systems.
• Hands-on experience with robot simulators (e.g., Gazebo, AirSim, Isaac Sim) and flight test environments.
• Proven track record of deploying autonomy software on physical platforms.

Why Join Us

Work at the forefront of autonomy, AI, and UAV innovation.

Influence architecture and decisions from the ground up.

Collaborate with a highly skilled multidisciplinary team.

Competitive compensation and equity options.