Staff Engineer, Autonomy and Motion Planning (AI)

Location: London, United Kingdom; on-site. Travel to co-locate with end-users or other teams may be required for up to 20% of the time.

Company

hirify.global is a venture-backed defense-tech company developing intelligent systems, including Hivemind autonomy software, unmanned aircraft, and simulation technologies.

What you will do

• Develop tactical autonomy software enabling unmanned platforms to perform complex missions with minimal human supervision.
• Implement and test behaviors for multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, survivability, and contested scenarios.
• Lead the full software development lifecycle from requirements capture and architecture through implementation, verification, validation, deployment, and sustainment.
• Architect scalable behavior subsystems integrating with sensor processing, state estimation, communications, contingency management, actuation, and payload interfaces.
• Collaborate with product, program, vehicle integration, and operational teams, including pilots and UAV operators, to deliver capabilities to vehicle platforms.
• Set technical direction and represent software engineering interests across engineering, business, and sales stakeholders.

Requirements

• BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Proficiency in production-level C++ software development.
• 7+ years of experience in software subsystem scheduling and integration, behavior planning, task and resource allocation, motion planning, optimization, or flight controls.
• Experience with version control, issue tracking, code reviews, release management, and collaborative software development.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, set technical direction, and manage projects from concept through deployment.
• Ability to own an entire software system, including requirements, roadmap management, coordination, design, implementation, sustainment, and evolution, while mentoring junior engineers.

Nice to have

• Experience with mission systems integration, flight demonstrations, and transitioning concepts from research-grade to operationally ready across multiple technology readiness levels.
• Experience with collaborative mission planning, synchronized teaming, automated tactics, motion planning, target assignment, sensor control, collision avoidance, geofencing, or safety monitoring.
• Experience across multiple operational effects and domains, including air, space, maritime, or ground systems.
• Familiarity with ROS, OMPL, optimization solvers, AFSIM, NGTS, navigation and communications systems, systems engineering, or high-assurance standards such as DO-178C.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-driven work focused on intelligent defense systems and complex operational challenges.
• Highly collaborative, entrepreneurial, and fast-paced environment.
• Opportunity to work at the forefront of AI, autonomy, and next-generation defense technology.
• Comprehensive total rewards package aligned with the country office location.
• Collaboration with international teams and strategic defense partners.