Senior Autonomy ML Engineer - Drones & Mission Systems

Heven Drones Ltd; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Disability insurance

Critical illness coverage

Hospital indemnity

Accident coverage

Job summary

Heven AeroTech seeks a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Autonomy to own machine learning and autonomy capabilities for uncrewed aircraft systems. You will translate mission needs into software requirements, architecture, and delivery, leading perception, planning, and sensor fusion, with heavy focus on onboard compute and NVIDIA GPUs.

The role involves hands-on development in C++ and Python, mentoring engineers, and coordinating with platform, flight test, and avionics teams.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in autonomy/robotics/machine learning or related embedded software.
• Proven ability to lead significant technical efforts from requirements to testing.
• Strong C++ and Python in Linux environment; debugging and profiling.
• Experience in perception, tracking, sensor fusion or planning; integrate into vehicle systems.
• Experience defining software architecture and interfaces; resolve integration issues.
• Experience deploying ML models on resource-constrained onboard compute.
• Experience with repeatable tests and log/test data investigation.
• Ability to work on-site in the United States (Bingen, WA) and support aircraft integration.
• English proficiency; knowledge of autopilot and GCS ecosystems; test/conductor experience.
• FAA Part 107 or equivalent credentials; U.S. work authorized (no sponsorship).

Responsibilities

• Own autonomy capabilities from requirements through delivery and testing.
• Define autonomous behaviors, constraints, and acceptance criteria.
• Tradeoff decisions across ML, deterministic logic, state machines, and planners.
• Design mission-level autonomy, including replanning and contingencies.
• Develop perception capabilities: detection, classification, tracking, fusion.
• Maintain interfaces among autonomy software, autopilots, sensors, and data links.
• Develop production-grade C++/Python for real-time/near-real-time use.
• Guide dataset quality, training, versioning, deployment, and rollback.
• Define degraded sensor behaviors and operator-intervention fallbacks.
• Lead verification strategies: SIL/HIL, simulation, bench testing, flight tests.
• Mentor junior engineers and coordinate across ML, platform, and avionics teams.

Skills

C++

Python

Linux

Machine Learning

Autonomy

Robot perception

Sensor fusion

Geospatial reasoning

GCS/flight test

Education

BA/BS in CS/Engineering or related

Tools

ROS 2

CUDA/TensorRT

Job description

Heven AeroTech seeks a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Autonomy to own machine learning and autonomy capabilities for uncrewed aircraft systems. You will translate mission needs into software requirements, architecture, and delivery, leading perception, planning, and sensor fusion, with heavy focus on onboard compute and NVIDIA GPUs.

The role involves hands-on development in C++ and Python, mentoring engineers, and coordinating with platform, flight test, and avionics teams.