Engineering Manager - Robotic Systems and Test

Applied Intuition; Poway (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401k with employer match

Learning and wellness stipends

Paid time off

Job summary

Applied Intuition in Poway is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead the Product Integration and Test team responsible for delivering autonomous product solutions. This role includes managing a team of engineers, overseeing the software and hardware integration, and ensuring rigorous testing protocols.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in robotics or systems engineering, with leadership experience and a solid understanding of system-level challenges. The base salary for the position ranges from $170,000 to $240,000 annually, complemented by equity and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years industry experience in software, robotics, or systems engineering.
• 2+ years experience leading technical teams.
• Experience deploying software to hardware components.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Product Integration and Test team.
• Ensure integration of software and hardware components.
• Oversee system-level testing and validation.

Skills

Leadership

Technical guidance

Integration of hardware and software

System-level testing

Robotics middleware

CI/CD tools

Linux proficiency

Education

MS in computer science, robotics or systems engineering

Tools

CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI)

ROS

Linux

Job description

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments.

About the Role

We are looking for an Engineering Manager to lead the Product Integration and Test team, which is critical for turning individual, stand‑alone components from various teams into a single, cohesive autonomous product.

This position will help the team execute effectively through technical guidance, mentoring, collaboration with other platform teams, integration into broader systems, testing, and configuration management. You will be responsible for maintaining and executing the technical roadmap of multiple products, starting with an All‑Domain Collaborative Autonomy product.

You will be responsible for leading a team of engineers and facilitating on‑water or in‑air real testing. This role is responsible for the rigorous end‑to‑end verification and validation of the integrated product through Software‑in‑the‑Loop (SIL), Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop (HIL), and real‑world deployment on company‑owned USV and UAV platforms. Your leadership will be key to increasing confidence in product quality for our downstream customers.

At Applied, you will:

• Manage a team of talented software engineers, working together on exciting autonomy projects.
• Lead the full integration lifecycle, combining individual software and hardware components into a unified, system‑level autonomy product.
• Oversee the development, integration, and deployment of autonomy solutions onto hardware platforms, including interfacing with sensors, vehicle autopilots, and third‑party software components.
• Ensure your team delivers high quality, robust software that can fulfill project requirements for real‑world deployment on hardware components.
• Manage and track multiple priorities while maintaining a focus towards common project goals.
• Oversee system‑level testing and validation efforts, including running integrated products in simulation (SIL, HIL) and conducting field deployment on USV and UAV vehicles.
• Work closely with partners and internal teams (e.g., Perception, Fusion, and Autonomy) to ensure seamless integration and success on project milestones.
• Drive strong maturating of best practices when it comes to planning SIL, HIL, and real testing with configuration management and test artifacts.

We're looking for someone who has:

• MS in computer science, robotics, systems engineering, or related fields from a top institution.
• 8+ years industry experience in software, robotics, or systems engineering.
• 2+ years experience in leading technical teams with varied backgrounds.
• Experience with deploying software to hardware components with rigorous verification and validation.
• Deep technical understanding of system‑level problems and the integration of components like sensors and vehicle autopilots.
• Familiarity with common robotics middlewares such as ROS, DDS, Iceoryx2, or protobuf over ZMQ.
• Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI) for automating deployments and testing.
• Strong proficiency in Linux and hands‑on experience with robotic systems and hardware.
• Familiarity with simulation environments, specifically Software‑in‑the‑Loop (SIL) and Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop (HIL) development.

Nice to have:

• PhD in Robotics or a related engineering field.
• Hands‑on experience in deploying autonomy in the real world, particularly on USV, UAV, or other maritime/aerospace platforms.
• Proficiency in production‑level C++ and/or Python.
• A proven ability to act as a "MacGyver," taking on unexpected problems in the field and finding a quick solution to make it work.

Security Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

For more information about U.S. security clearances: click here.

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Please reference the job posting’s subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full‑time position in the location listed is: $170,000 - $240,000USD annually.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.