{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"dfdcd5ba9e158e1da445d351","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/dfdcd5ba9e158e1da445d351","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/dfdcd5ba9e158e1da445d351","title":"Senior Autonomy Software Engineer","description":"Develop the planning, coordination, decision-making, and degraded-communications behaviors that enable multiple unmanned aircraft to execute missions collaboratively.Department SoftwareLocation Annapolis, MarylandRegion United StatesJob type Full-timeWork arrangement On-siteBase compensation $150,000–$210,000 per yearEligible for an annual performance bonus based on team or department success.ABOUT THE ROLEVanthal Technologies is seeking a Senior Autonomy Software Engineer to develop the planning, coordination, and decision-making software used by collaborative unmanned-aircraft systems.This is a full-time, on-site position based at Vanthal's operations in Annapolis, Maryland. The role works directly with aircraft, edge-compute hardware, flight-control systems, simulation environments, operator interfaces, and live test platforms.The Senior Autonomy Software Engineer will develop software for mission decomposition, vehicle selection, task allocation, route generation, coverage planning, dynamic replanning, aircraft coordination, degraded-communications behavior, recovery logic, and human supervision.This is a hands-on robotics-software role. The successful candidate must be capable of designing autonomy algorithms, implementing production-quality software, testing behavior in simulation, integrating it with physical aircraft, and evaluating performance during field testing.This is not primarily a computer-vision, web-development, data-science, or research-only position. The role is responsible for translating autonomy concepts into reliable software that operates on real hardware under practical constraints.Vanthal develops autonomy intended to operate within defined mission constraints and human-supervision requirements.RESPONSIBILITIESDesign and implement autonomous mission-planning and execution softwareDevelop mission decomposition and task-allocation logicDevelop vehicle-selection logic based on aircraft capability, location, status, configuration, and availabilityDevelop multi-aircraft coordination and collaborative mission behaviorsDevelop coverage-planning and route-generation algorithmsDevelop dynamic mission-replanning behaviorDevelop collision-avoidance and operational deconfliction logicDevelop return, recovery, replacement, and relaunch decision logicDevelop behavior for lost-link, intermittent-link, and degraded-network conditionsDefine human-supervision, approval, override, and abort interfacesIntegrate autonomy software with aircraft telemetry and command interfacesIntegrate software with simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and live aircraftDevelop reusable vehicle abstractions that support multiple aircraft configurationsImplement health-aware mission behaviorIncorporate aircraft state, battery condition, payload, communications status, and mission priority into autonomous decisionsDevelop deterministic startup, shutdown, recovery, and fault-handling behaviorCreate automated tests for autonomy decisions and mission-state transitionsBuild simulation scenarios for nominal, degraded, and failure conditionsAnalyze test results, flight logs, and autonomy-performance dataIdentify unsafe, unstable, or undesirable autonomous behaviorPerform structured root-cause analysis for software and integration failuresImprove autonomy reliability, predictability, and explainabilityMaintain clear architecture, interface, and software-design documentationParticipate in code review and software-quality practicesSupport field testing, demonstrations, and aircraft-integration activityWork directly with embedded, perception, networking, mission-systems, flight-test, and aircraft personnelContribute to technical planning and autonomy-system architectureREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONSAt least five years of professional software-engineering experienceAt least three years of experience developing software for robotics, autonomous systems, mission planning, industrial automation, real-time systems, or comparable physical systemsStrong professional experience with modern C++Professional experience with PythonExperience designing and implementing planning, decision-making, control, coordination, or state-management softwareExperience developing software that interacts with physical hardwareExperience working in Linux-based development environmentsExperience with multithreaded, asynchronous, event-driven, or real-time softwareExperience creating automated software testsExperience debugging complex software and hardware-integration problemsExperience analyzing logs, telemetry, and system behaviorExperience with simulation-based development and testingStrong understanding of software architecture, interfaces, and modular system designStrong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and computational tradeoffsAbility to convert operational requirements into testable software behaviorAbility to document assumptions, interfaces, state transitions, and failure behaviorAbility to communicate technical decisions clearlyAbility to work directly with hardware, aircraft, and test personnelWillingness to participate in hands-on integration and field testingReliable attendance and professional follow-throughPROGRAMMING LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTSModern C++ is required. Python experience is required.EDUCATIONA bachelor's degree in computer science, robotics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied mathematics, or a related technical field is preferred. Directly relevant autonomy, robotics, and software-engineering experience may be considered in place of a degree.PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSSeven or more years of professional software-engineering experienceFive or more years of robotics, autonomy, mission-planning, or real-time systems experienceExperience with multi-agent systems or collaborative roboticsExperience with decentralized task allocation or coordinationExperience with coverage planning, route planning, graph search, or optimizationExperience with behavior trees, hierarchical state machines, planners, or decision enginesExperience with dynamic replanning under changing mission conditionsExperience with collision avoidance or vehicle deconflictionExperience designing systems that operate under intermittent or degraded communicationsExperience with distributed robotic systemsExperience with unmanned aircraft, ground robots, maritime robotics, or industrial autonomous systemsExperience with ROS or ROS 2Experience with MAVLinkExperience with ArduPilot or PX4Experience with software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testingExperience with Gazebo, Isaac Sim, AirSim, JSBSim, or comparable simulation environmentsExperience integrating autonomy software with flight controllersExperience with edge-compute platforms and resource-constrained systemsExperience with telemetry, command, and control interfacesExperience with geospatial data, coordinate systems, and map-based planningExperience with safety-critical, mission-critical, or high-reliability softwareExperience with formalized software-state and failure-mode analysisExperience building automated regression and scenario-test systemsExperience developing software for GPS-degraded, communications-degraded, or uncertain environmentsExperience supporting live robotic-system testingExperience in a startup or rapidly developing hardware organizationMilitary UAS, aviation, robotics, autonomy, or mission-systems experienceWORKING CONDITIONSThis position includes software development, laboratory integration, and field testing with physical unmanned-aircraft systems.BENEFITSThree weeks of paid time off per yearHealth, dental, and vision insurancePaid maternity and paternity leaveEligibility for an annual performance bonus based on team or department success","company":"Vanthal Technologies","rawCompany":"vanthal technologies","city":"Highland Beach","state":"MD","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-11-07T14:25:41.136Z","occupations":[{"code":"15-1252.00","title":"Software Developers","slug":"software-developers"},{"code":"17-2199.08","title":"Robotics Engineers","slug":"robotics-engineers"},{"code":"15-1299.08","title":"Computer Systems Engineers/Architects","slug":"computer-systems-engineers-architects"}],"industries":[{"code":"541511","title":"Custom Computer Programming Services","slug":"custom-computer-programming-services"},{"code":"336411","title":"Aircraft Manufacturing","slug":"aircraft-manufacturing"},{"code":"541715","title":"Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)","slug":"research-and-development-in-the-physical-engineering-and-life-sciences-except-nanotechnology-and-biotechnology"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Senior Autonomy Software Engineer","description":"Develop the planning, coordination, decision-making, and degraded-communications behaviors that enable multiple unmanned aircraft to execute missions collaboratively.Department SoftwareLocation Annapolis, MarylandRegion United StatesJob type Full-timeWork arrangement On-siteBase compensation $150,000–$210,000 per yearEligible for an annual performance bonus based on team or department success.ABOUT THE ROLEVanthal Technologies is seeking a Senior Autonomy Software Engineer to develop the planning, coordination, and decision-making software used by collaborative unmanned-aircraft systems.This is a full-time, on-site position based at Vanthal's operations in Annapolis, Maryland. The role works directly with aircraft, edge-compute hardware, flight-control systems, simulation environments, operator interfaces, and live test platforms.The Senior Autonomy Software Engineer will develop software for mission decomposition, vehicle selection, task allocation, route generation, coverage planning, dynamic replanning, aircraft coordination, degraded-communications behavior, recovery logic, and human supervision.This is a hands-on robotics-software role. The successful candidate must be capable of designing autonomy algorithms, implementing production-quality software, testing behavior in simulation, integrating it with physical aircraft, and evaluating performance during field testing.This is not primarily a computer-vision, web-development, data-science, or research-only position. The role is responsible for translating autonomy concepts into reliable software that operates on real hardware under practical constraints.Vanthal develops autonomy intended to operate within defined mission constraints and human-supervision requirements.RESPONSIBILITIESDesign and implement autonomous mission-planning and execution softwareDevelop mission decomposition and task-allocation logicDevelop vehicle-selection logic based on aircraft capability, location, status, configuration, and availabilityDevelop multi-aircraft coordination and collaborative mission behaviorsDevelop coverage-planning and route-generation algorithmsDevelop dynamic mission-replanning behaviorDevelop collision-avoidance and operational deconfliction logicDevelop return, recovery, replacement, and relaunch decision logicDevelop behavior for lost-link, intermittent-link, and degraded-network conditionsDefine human-supervision, approval, override, and abort interfacesIntegrate autonomy software with aircraft telemetry and command interfacesIntegrate software with simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and live aircraftDevelop reusable vehicle abstractions that support multiple aircraft configurationsImplement health-aware mission behaviorIncorporate aircraft state, battery condition, payload, communications status, and mission priority into autonomous decisionsDevelop deterministic startup, shutdown, recovery, and fault-handling behaviorCreate automated tests for autonomy decisions and mission-state transitionsBuild simulation scenarios for nominal, degraded, and failure conditionsAnalyze test results, flight logs, and autonomy-performance dataIdentify unsafe, unstable, or undesirable autonomous behaviorPerform structured root-cause analysis for software and integration failuresImprove autonomy reliability, predictability, and explainabilityMaintain clear architecture, interface, and software-design documentationParticipate in code review and software-quality practicesSupport field testing, demonstrations, and aircraft-integration activityWork directly with embedded, perception, networking, mission-systems, flight-test, and aircraft personnelContribute to technical planning and autonomy-system architectureREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONSAt least five years of professional software-engineering experienceAt least three years of experience developing software for robotics, autonomous systems, mission planning, industrial automation, real-time systems, or comparable physical systemsStrong professional experience with modern C++Professional experience with PythonExperience designing and implementing planning, decision-making, control, coordination, or state-management softwareExperience developing software that interacts with physical hardwareExperience working in Linux-based development environmentsExperience with multithreaded, asynchronous, event-driven, or real-time softwareExperience creating automated software testsExperience debugging complex software and hardware-integration problemsExperience analyzing logs, telemetry, and system behaviorExperience with simulation-based development and testingStrong understanding of software architecture, interfaces, and modular system designStrong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and computational tradeoffsAbility to convert operational requirements into testable software behaviorAbility to document assumptions, interfaces, state transitions, and failure behaviorAbility to communicate technical decisions clearlyAbility to work directly with hardware, aircraft, and test personnelWillingness to participate in hands-on integration and field testingReliable attendance and professional follow-throughPROGRAMMING LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTSModern C++ is required. Python experience is required.EDUCATIONA bachelor's degree in computer science, robotics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied mathematics, or a related technical field is preferred. Directly relevant autonomy, robotics, and software-engineering experience may be considered in place of a degree.PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSSeven or more years of professional software-engineering experienceFive or more years of robotics, autonomy, mission-planning, or real-time systems experienceExperience with multi-agent systems or collaborative roboticsExperience with decentralized task allocation or coordinationExperience with coverage planning, route planning, graph search, or optimizationExperience with behavior trees, hierarchical state machines, planners, or decision enginesExperience with dynamic replanning under changing mission conditionsExperience with collision avoidance or vehicle deconflictionExperience designing systems that operate under intermittent or degraded communicationsExperience with distributed robotic systemsExperience with unmanned aircraft, ground robots, maritime robotics, or industrial autonomous systemsExperience with ROS or ROS 2Experience with MAVLinkExperience with ArduPilot or PX4Experience with software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testingExperience with Gazebo, Isaac Sim, AirSim, JSBSim, or comparable simulation environmentsExperience integrating autonomy software with flight controllersExperience with edge-compute platforms and resource-constrained systemsExperience with telemetry, command, and control interfacesExperience with geospatial data, coordinate systems, and map-based planningExperience with safety-critical, mission-critical, or high-reliability softwareExperience with formalized software-state and failure-mode analysisExperience building automated regression and scenario-test systemsExperience developing software for GPS-degraded, communications-degraded, or uncertain environmentsExperience supporting live robotic-system testingExperience in a startup or rapidly developing hardware organizationMilitary UAS, aviation, robotics, autonomy, or mission-systems experienceWORKING CONDITIONSThis position includes software development, laboratory integration, and field testing with physical unmanned-aircraft systems.BENEFITSThree weeks of paid time off per yearHealth, dental, and vision insurancePaid maternity and paternity leaveEligibility for an annual performance bonus based on team or department success","datePosted":"2026-11-07T14:25:41.136Z","dateModified":"2026-11-07T14:25:41.136Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Vanthal Technologies","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Highland Beach","addressRegion":"MD","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"dfdcd5ba9e158e1da445d351"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/dfdcd5ba9e158e1da445d351"}}