Autonomy Lead

Cantos Ventures; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

A defense technology company in Torrance, California, seeks an Autonomy Lead to oversee the development of next-generation autonomy products. This role involves leading a team of engineers and directly driving software architecture and hardware requirements. Candidates should have at least 3 years of experience in hardware-constrained autonomy and proficiency in C, C++, and/or Python. The position offers a competitive salary range of $150,000 - $225,000 and equity grants as part of the total compensation package.

Qualifications

• 3+ years leading technical work in hardware-constrained autonomy.
• Proficiency in C/C++/Python in embedded or resource-constrained environments.
• Experience hiring engineers for autonomy or AI roles.

Responsibilities

• Lead autonomy software development for an upcoming Neros product.
• Define hardware requirements and collaborate with hardware teams.
• Develop terminal guidance, position hold, visual navigation enhancements.

Skills

Technical leadership

C/C++/Python proficiency

Embedded systems experience

Computer vision

State estimation

Controls

Robotics

Tools

Betaflight

ExpressLRS

ArduPilot

Job description

Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands‑on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.

As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy. We’re hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership, and get capability into the hands of warfighters in months, not years.

What you will be doing

As the Autonomy Lead, you will own the development of Neros' next autonomy product from the ground up. You'll lead a small, high‑performing team of autonomy engineers while directly driving the software architecture and defining hardware requirements for partner teams to design around. Day‑to‑day, you'll be in the code — developing terminal guidance, position hold, visual navigation, and swarming capabilities across current and future Neros platforms. This is a technical leadership role: you'll set the direction, make the hard calls, and ship capability that gets into soldiers' hands.

Responsibilities

• Lead the autonomy software development effort for an upcoming Neros product, owning architecture decisions end‑to‑end
• Define hardware requirements and interface closely with hardware teams to ensure software and system design are tightly coupled
• Develop and iterate on terminal guidance, position hold, visual navigation, and swarming capabilities
• Hire, manage, and grow a small team of autonomy engineers — setting technical standards and maintaining a high execution bar
• Write and review production‑quality embedded autonomy code in C, C++, and/or Python
• Operate effectively under hardware constraints, making smart tradeoffs between performance and compute/power budgets

You should have the following

• 3+ years proven experience leading technical work in hardware‑constrained autonomy — small drones, ground robots, or similar systems strongly preferred
• Hands‑on depth in one or more of: computer vision, state estimation, controls, or robotics
• Experience managing engineers and delivering projects end‑to‑end, not just contributing to them
• Strong proficiency in C, C++, and/or Python in embedded or resource‑constrained environments
• Experience hiring for autonomy or AI roles

Nice to have

• Prior work with quadcopters or other aerospace systems
• Familiarity with Betaflight, ExpressLRS, or ArduPilot

US Salary Range

$150,000 - $225,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Neros' total compensation package.

We’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.