Chief Engineer (Autonomous Vehicles)

Location: Arlington, VA, United States. Up to 25% travel may be required.

Salary: $175,000–$235,000 per year, plus equity for most full-time, high-demand roles.

Company

hirify.global develops autonomous networks, vehicles, sensors, and battlefield systems for military and commercial applications.

What you will do

• Own technical execution for complex defense autonomy programs from concept through integration and delivery.
• Define and manage logical and physical system architecture across software and hardware domains.
• Lead multidisciplinary engineering execution across software, electrical, mechanical, autonomy, systems, and integration teams.
• Develop and decompose system requirements, interface definitions, engineering schedules, and risk-mitigation plans.
• Oversee integration and commissioning of autonomous platforms and weapons payloads in laboratory and field environments.
• Lead system validation and verification campaigns, technical reviews, demonstrations, and live test events.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field, such as mechanical, electrical, computer, software, mechatronics, robotics, or aerospace engineering.
• At least 5 years of experience in systems integration, robotics, or autonomous vehicles.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams in high-stakes environments.
• Strong background in autonomy, drive-by-wire systems, or closely related technologies.
• Ability to obtain a Secret clearance.
• Ability to travel up to 25% as required.

Nice to have

• Advanced engineering degree, such as an M.S. or Ph.D.
• 10 or more years of experience in systems integration, robotics, or autonomous vehicles.
• Experience developing robotics and autonomous systems for Department of Defense applications.
• Experience with DoD acquisition programs or direct collaboration with military end users.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time employment with equity included in most high-demand roles.
• Three premium healthcare plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with 80% of premiums covered for employees and dependents.
• 20 days of accrued paid time off annually and an extended company holiday calendar with a December winter break.
• At least 7 weeks of fully paid parental leave.
• $9,000 annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• 401(k) plan with company matching contributions of up to 4%.