Manager of Engineering - Autonomous Pilot Integration - Emerging Domains (C++)

Location: On-site in the United States, with offices or work locations in San Diego, California; Washington, DC; and Boston, Massachusetts. Travel to customer sites, test events, and integration events is typically 20–30% of the year.

Company

hirify.global develops autonomy solutions for defense and other complex unmanned-system platforms.

What you will do

• Lead an engineering team of approximately 5–10 autonomy engineers across emerging-domain programs.
• Hire, onboard, mentor, and support the performance, growth, leveling, and career development of engineers.
• Stand up autonomy solutions for new platforms and missions across space, maritime, rotorcraft, and contested logistics.
• Define technical direction and integrate mission behaviors, platform controls, payloads, sensors, C2 interfaces, and autonomy capabilities.
• Own design, build, configuration, validation, release, and field support from software-in-the-loop through hardware-in-the-loop, vehicle-in-the-loop, and live tests.
• Partner with platform, perception, autonomy, GCS, customer, and program teams while developing interface contracts, standards compliance, and longer-term programs from R&D efforts.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 7 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree, 5 years with a master’s degree, or 4 years with a PhD.
• At least 2 years of direct people-management experience, including 1:1s, performance reviews, hiring, and growth planning.
• Experience building or growing engineering teams, leading technical teams, standing up autonomy on new platforms, and working effectively with ambiguity.
• Strong C++ proficiency with real-time or latency-sensitive systems, plus Linux-based development, embedded systems, shell scripting, and system diagnostics.
• Experience with autonomous unmanned systems, simulation and validation environments, field tests, middleware or IPC frameworks, interface contracts, and full-stack performance troubleshooting. Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Nice to have

• Experience across multiple unmanned-system domains, including space, maritime, air, ground, or rotorcraft platforms.
• Python, motion planning, vehicle-control integration, custom autopilots, payload and sensor integration, ARM systems, Docker, CMake, Conan, or CI/CD experience.
• Experience transitioning R&D or prototype work into production or fielded programs.
• Experience with UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, or comparable maritime and space standards.
• Experience working with DoD stakeholders, international defense customers, platform vendors, C2 providers, or government program offices.

Culture & Benefits

• Hands-on engineering management role with continued direct technical contribution.
• Work on novel autonomy applications and emerging defense platforms.
• Close collaboration across multidisciplinary engineering, platform, customer, and program teams.
• Regular participation in live demonstrations, flight tests, range exercises, on-water trials, and satellite ground tests.