Software Autonomy Engineer - Underwater Autonomous Systems

MBN Solutions; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity ~0.5%

Job summary

MBN Solutions is partnering with an early-stage defense technology company to build autonomous underwater vehicles. You will architect, implement and deploy production autonomy software on real hardware, working directly with the Head of Autonomy & Software and a small, highly technical founding team.

The platform must navigate, perceive its environment and execute extended missions independently, without relying on continuous communications or human intervention.

Qualifications

• At least five years of professional experience in autonomy, robotics, perception or closely related software engineering.
• Strong production-level C++ and Python skills.
• Experience building and deploying autonomy software on real-world robotic platforms.
• Knowledge of motion or path planning, autonomous decision-making, perception, sensor fusion or localisation.
• Experience with computer vision, machine learning or classical perception techniques.

Responsibilities

• Architecting and implementing the autonomy stack, including mission planning and obstacle avoidance.
• Developing perception pipelines using ML and classical techniques.
• Building software for power-constrained embedded compute (NVIDIA Jetson Orin AGX).
• Integrating sensor data for reliable navigation in underwater conditions.
• Taking autonomy capabilities from simulation through hardware validation to production deployment.
• Supporting testing in dive pools and live ocean environments.
• Owning end-to-end systems from requirements to deployment.
• Helping establish the foundations of a growing autonomy engineering organization.

Skills

Autonomy software engineering

Robotics

Perception

Software engineering

Tools

C++

Python

ROS

PyTorch

TensorFlow

OpenCV

CUDA

NVIDIA Jetson Orin AGX

Linux

Git

Docker

SIL/HIL Simulation

Sensor Fusion

Computer Vision

Machine Learning

Job description

MBN Solutions is partnering with an early-stage defense technology company developing a new generation of autonomous underwater vehicles for operation in GPS-denied and communications-denied environments.

We are looking for three Autonomy Software Engineer to take significant ownership of the autonomy and perception stack. This is a genuine greenfield opportunity: you will architect, build and deploy production autonomy software on real hardware, working directly with the Head of Autonomy & Software and a small, highly technical founding team.

The platform must navigate, perceive its environment and execute extended missions independently, without relying on continuous communications or human intervention.

What you’ll be doing

• Architecting and implementing the autonomy stack, including mission planning, path planning, obstacle avoidance, target detection and autonomous decision-making
• Developing classical and machine-learning-based perception pipelines
• Building software for power-constrained embedded compute using NVIDIA Jetson Orin AGX
• Integrating sensor data to support reliable navigation and environmental understanding in challenging underwater conditions
• Taking autonomy capabilities from simulation through hardware integration, field validation and production deployment
• Supporting practical testing in dive pools and live ocean environments
• Debugging vehicle behaviour and telemetry during field trials
• Owning systems end-to-end, from requirements and architecture through implementation, verification and deployment
• Helping establish the technical foundations of a growing autonomy engineering organisation

What we’re looking for

• At least five years of professional experience in autonomy, robotics, perception or closely related software engineering
• Strong production-level C++ and Python
• Experience building and deploying autonomy software on real-world robotic platforms
• Knowledge of motion or path planning, autonomous decision-making, perception, sensor fusion or localisation
• Experience with computer vision, machine learning or classical perception techniques
• Familiarity with embedded or edge compute and the constraints associated with power, latency and limited resources
• Experience with simulation, software-in-the-loop or hardware-in-the-loop testing
• A track record of taking responsibility for systems beyond research or prototyping
• The ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, early-stage engineering environment

C++ | Python | ROS | PyTorch | TensorFlow | OpenCV | CUDA | NVIDIA Jetson Orin AGX | Linux | Git | Docker | SIL/HIL Simulation | Sensor Fusion | Computer Vision | Machine Learning

Why consider this opportunity?

• Build a production autonomy architecture from the ground up, without legacy constraints
• Work on autonomous systems designed for extended operation in denied environments
• See your software deployed on physical vehicles and tested in real ocean conditions
• Join a small team where individual engineers have substantial technical influence
• Work alongside engineers with backgrounds spanning SpaceX, Tesla, Archer Aviation, Vast and other advanced technology companies
• Receive a competitive base salary, meaningful early-stage equity and relocation support

Working pattern: Full-time, five days on-site

Equity: Approximately 0.5%

Visa sponsorship: Not available - ITAR Candidates only

This position requires full-time, on-site attendance in Los Angeles. Candidates must already have unrestricted authorisation to work in the United States, as visa sponsorship is not available.