Lead Autonomy Engineer, University Mentorship Program

Machina Cognita Technologies; Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible work hours

Professional development reimbursement

Job summary

Machina Cognita Technologies in Lafayette, IN seeks a Lead Autonomy Engineer for the University Mentorship Program. You will lead teams through autonomy challenges, guiding end-to-end design, development, and manufacturing of autonomous vehicles while mentoring early-career engineers.

This role requires hands-on leadership, strong skills in C++/Python, and experience in unmanned systems. You will collaborate with product managers, translate client needs into solutions, and travel to client sites

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Physics, CS, or related field.
• 3+ years of autonomy and/or unmanned vehicle design and manufacturing experience.
• Proficient in C++ and/or Python.
• Experience in mentorship, management, and/or leadership.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and maintain autonomous vehicles and unmanned systems.
• Develop perception, path planning, navigation, and control algorithms.
• Establish and supervise safety procedures in a warehouse environment.
• Guide design discussions and technical direction.
• Mentor engineering interns and students through collaborative R&D projects.
• Collaborate with product manager and engineers to translate client needs into innovative solutions.
• Travel to client destinations to facilitate product delivery and provide ongoing support and optimization.

Skills

Mentorship

Leadership

Team collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

C++

Python

Job description

Machina Cognita Technologies is an R&D-driven company specializing in machine learning innovations for government, commercial, and educational applications. We embrace today’s most exciting machine learning challenges with technologies including uncrewed autonomous systems, large language models, realistic simulation environments, computer vision, and reinforcement learning.

We are looking for a Lead Autonomy Engineer, University Mentorship Program who enjoys leading teams through exciting autonomy challenges. In this role, you’ll conceptualize forward-thinking solutions and guide end-to-end design, development, and manufacturing of autonomous vehicles. You’ll mentor and inspire early-career engineers to grow in their technical capabilities and ownership.

This is a full-time, onsite role located in Lafayette, IN.

Who You Are

• Energized by open-ended technical challenges in early-stage product development
• Hands-on leader and coach
• Turns failures into learning opportunities
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related field
• 3+ years of autonomy and/or unmanned vehicle design and manufacturing experience
• Proficient in C++ and/or Python
• Experience in mentorship, management, and/or leadership
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and maintain autonomous vehicles and unmanned systems
• Develop perception, path planning, navigation, and control algorithms
• Establish and supervise safety procedures in a warehouse environment
• Guide design discussions and technical direction
• Mentor engineering interns and students through collaborative R&D projects
• Collaborate with product manager and engineers to translate client needs into innovative solutions
• Travel to client destinations to facilitate product delivery and provide ongoing support and optimization

Compensation

Compensation is based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, ability, education, certifications, specialized skills, business needs, and scope and responsibilities of the position.

• Safe Harbor 401(k) with 4% employer match
• Health, dental, and vision insurance with 99% employer contribution towards employee premiums
• Flexible work hours + inclusive PTO policy to support work-life balance
• Professional development reimbursement for continual learning

Machina Cognita Technologies does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, or other non-merit factors. We recognize and appreciate the value of a diverse workforce and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.