Principal AI/ML Engineer - Autonomous Flight Systems (Remote)

Placements24; Centurion; Hybrid; ZAR 2,988,000 - 3,983,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity options

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Unlimited PTO

Professional development

Remote-friendly/fully distributed team

High-performance computing resources

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal AI/ML Engineer to lead R&D for autonomous flight systems. This fully remote role focuses on developing AI/ML models for perception, navigation, and control of autonomous aircraft.

You will mentor engineers, publish findings, and collaborate across software, hardware, and systems teams to deploy production-ready AI capabilities. The position emphasizes innovation and rigorous safety standards.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Aerospace Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years of AI/ML research and development, preferably in robotics, autonomous systems, or aerospace.
• Proficiency in Python and C++, with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn.
• Strong theoretical and practical understanding of ML techniques including deep learning, reinforcement learning, Bayesian methods, and probabilistic modeling.
• Experience with large-scale data processing and distributed computing (e.g., Spark).
• Proven ability to lead technical projects, mentor team members, and drive innovation in a remote setting.
• Excellent communication skills to articulate complex concepts to diverse audiences.
• Experience deploying ML models into production environments.
• Experience with aerospace systems, flight dynamics, or control systems is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of AI/ML algorithms for autonomous flight control and decision-making.
• Research deep learning, reinforcement learning, computer vision, and sensor fusion for aerospace applications.
• Develop and maintain data pipelines for training and evaluating ML models on large aerospace datasets.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate AI/ML into flight platforms.
• Validate and verify performance and safety of AI/ML models through simulation and real-world testing.
• Mentor junior engineers and foster a culture of innovation in the AI/ML team.
• Publish research findings in top-tier conferences and journals and represent the company at technical forums.
• Stay updated on AI/ML advancements and their aerospace applications.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and safety regulations for autonomous systems.

Skills

Mentoring

Leadership

Communication

Remote collaboration

Education

PhD or Master’s in CS/AI/ML/Aerospace

Tools

Python

C++

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Spark

Bayesian methods

Job description

About the Role

Our client is at the forefront of revolutionizing aviation through autonomous flight systems and is seeking an exceptional Principal AI/ML Engineer to join their pioneering, fully remote team. In this role, you will drive the research, development, and implementation of advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning models that power the next generation of autonomous aircraft. This is a unique opportunity to lead complex projects, mentor a talented group of engineers, and make significant contributions to a groundbreaking field, all from your designated remote workspace. You will tackle challenging problems in areas such as perception, decision-making, and control for autonomous flight. We are looking for a deeply experienced individual who thrives in an independent, remote setting and can inspire innovation within a distributed engineering community.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of sophisticated AI/ML algorithms for autonomous flight control, navigation, and decision-making systems.
• Conduct cutting-edge research in areas such as deep learning, reinforcement learning, computer vision, and sensor fusion for aerospace applications.
• Develop and maintain robust data pipelines for training and evaluating ML models using large-scale aerospace datasets.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (software, hardware, systems) to integrate AI/ML capabilities into flight platforms.
• Validate and verify the performance and safety of AI/ML models through rigorous simulation and real-world testing.
• Mentor junior engineers, provide technical guidance, and foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning within the AI/ML team.
• Publish research findings in top-tier conferences and journals, and represent the company at technical forums.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in AI/ML and their applications in the aerospace domain.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and safety regulations for autonomous systems.

Requirements

• PhD or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Aerospace Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years of experience in AI/ML research and development, with a significant focus on real-world applications, preferably in robotics, autonomous systems, or aerospace.
• Expertise in programming languages such as Python, C++, and proficiency with ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn).
• Strong theoretical and practical understanding of various ML techniques, including deep learning, reinforcement learning, Bayesian methods, and probabilistic modeling.
• Experience with large-scale data processing and distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark).
• Proven ability to lead technical projects, mentor team members, and drive innovation in a remote setting.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated experience in deploying ML models into production environments.
• Experience with aerospace systems, flight dynamics, or control systems is a strong plus.

Benefits

• Highly attractive compensation package including equity options.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous retirement savings plan with employer match.
• Unlimited paid time off and flexible work arrangements.
• Support for professional development, including conference attendance and further education.
• A truly innovative and collaborative remote work environment focused on cutting‑edge technology.
• Opportunity to shape the future of autonomous aviation and work on technically challenging problems.
• Access to powerful computing resources and cutting‑edge development tools.