Founding Application Engineer Manager (Autonomous Driving)

Location: Tokyo, Japan; hybrid working with in-person collaboration in office spaces, remote work, and hands-on work in vehicle workshops and labs.

Company

hirify.global is building an AI platform for autonomous driving using an end-to-end, mapless, and hardware-agnostic approach that enables vehicles to learn from real-world experience.

What you will do

• Lead and grow a Japan-based Application Engineer team focused on localising and advancing autonomous driving technology.
• Develop autonomy features adapted to Japan’s road infrastructure, driving behaviours, and regulatory environment.
• Guide engineering work across robotics, machine learning, controls, software engineering, and systems integration.
• Set the team vision, define roadmaps, make independent technical decisions, and deliver high-impact work.
• Collaborate across cultures and time zones with global engineering teams and interface directly with OEM customers.

Requirements

• Strong background in robotics and autonomy, including building and deploying systems operating in real-world environments.
• Experience leading and growing high-performing engineering teams, preferably in distributed or independent settings.
• Ability to define goals, create roadmaps, and deliver with minimal supervision in ambiguous conditions.
• Broad technical fluency across software engineering, machine learning, controls, and systems integration.
• Strong communication, product sense, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work in the hybrid Tokyo-based setup and collaborate across time zones.

Nice to have

• Experience with autonomous vehicles or robotic systems operating at scale.
• Familiarity with Japan’s road environment, driving behaviour, or autonomous vehicle regulations.
• Experience applying machine learning to real-time decision-making or perception systems.
• Japanese language proficiency for day-to-day coordination.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid working with core hours and access to vehicle workshops and labs.
• Market-benchmarked salaries and meaningful equity participation.
• Relocation support and visa sponsorship where applicable.
• Learning and development budgets for training, conferences, and professional growth.
• Health, dental, parental leave, retirement or pension benefits where applicable, therapy access, wellbeing partnerships, and team socials.
• Startup-like environment with significant ownership and autonomy.

Hiring process

• Initial recruiter call lasting 30 minutes.
• Leadership and management plus applied machine learning competency interviews lasting two hours in total.
• Python programming and autonomy system design technical interviews lasting two hours in total, followed by a one-hour mission and values interview.