Autonomy Engineer-Technical Staff

MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 145,200 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Pension

401K matching

Paid leave

Tuition reimbursement

Mentorship

Work-life balance

Job summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Tactical Autonomy Group seeks a senior autonomous systems developer to design, build, and test state-of-the-art autonomous systems as part of an agile, cross-functional team in Lexington, MA. Responsibilities include concept development, modeling & simulation, feasibility assessment, system design, development, testing, and staff mentorship.

The role involves customer presentations, demonstrations, and collaboration across DoD and IC partners, with opportunities to

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, systems engineering, computer science, or related field with autonomous systems/robotics focus.
• Master's degree with 5+ years directly related experience or Bachelor's with 8+ years experience.
• Hands-on experience developing autonomous systems in real-world environments.
• Experience with modern feedback control and state estimation.
• Programming experience with C++, Python, and ROS in a Linux environment.
• Strong ability to develop and present technical materials to varied audiences.

Responsibilities

• Concept development and architecture for autonomous systems.
• Modeling & simulation to validate designs.
• Feasibility assessment and system design.
• System development, construction, and testing.
• Customer presentations, demonstrations, and staff mentorship.

Skills

Autonomous systems development

Modeling & simulation

Team mentorship

Technical presentations

Education

Ph.D. in relevant field

Master's + 5+ years experience

Bachelor's + 8+ years experience

Tools

ROS

Linux development

C++

Python

Job description

Autonomy Engineer-Technical Staff

Date: Jul 10, 2026

Location: Lexington, MA, US

Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

The Tactical Autonomy Group develops and delivers AI-enabled autonomy and robotic systems where it counts – at the tactical edge. As an FFRDC, we combine academic depth in algorithms, controls, and machine learning, the execution speed of industry, and direct mission pull from operational end-users to solve problems others can’t. We don’t stop at papers: we design, build, integrate, field‑test, and transition autonomy stacks – spanning perception, decision‑making, learning, and control – into real operations across the DoD and Intelligence Community.

Position Description

The Tactical Autonomy Group is seeking a senior autonomous systems developer to design, build, and test state‑of‑the‑art autonomous systems as part of an agile, cross‑functional team. Responsibilities include concept development, modeling & simulation, feasibility assessment, system design, system development/construction, component and system testing, and supporting analysis. Additional responsibilities include customer presentations and demonstrations, team/project management, and staff mentorship.

Our team works on innovative and fast‑paced autonomous system programs from concept through operational prototype. We also continue to push the cutting edge in autonomy and AI research. Autonomy research and development topics could include one or more of the following: guidance/planning, estimation and feedback control, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and computer vision.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, systems engineering, computer science, or related field with coursework and research emphasis on autonomous systems/robotics.
• In lieu of a Ph.D., a master’s degree with 5+ years of directly related experience or a bachelor’s degree with 8+ years of experience will be considered.
• Hands‑on experience developing autonomous systems operating in real‑world environments.
• Experience with modern feedback control and state estimation.
• Programming experience with C++, Python, and ROS using a Linux development environment.
• Candidates should have strong skills in the development and presentation of technical materials to varied audiences.

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $145,200 - $170,000
Experienced Hiring Range: $145,200 - $220,000

Benefits offered to employees include:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• MIT‑funded pension
• Matching 401K
• Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
• Mentorship programs
• A range of work‑life balance options

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre‑employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.