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Autonomous Vehicle Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Forterra

Senior Payloads Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$120K - $200K/yr

Take a holistic view of autonomous vehicle behavior-how sensing, compute, controls, and other ... Strong programming skills in languages in C/C++ (preferred) * Experience vehicle networks and ...

Forterra

Chief Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

Minimum 5+ years of experience in systems integration, robotics, or autonomous vehicles ... D.) in engineering preferred * 10+ Years of Experience in systems integration, robotics, or ...

Dewberry

Senior ITS Engineer

Fairfax, VA · On-site

$103K - $142K/yr

... autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies. Ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of ITS and traffic engineering experience, including experience on VDOT, MDOT, and/or design-build projects.

Dewberry

Senior ITS Engineer

Fairfax, VA · On-site +1

$103K - $142K/yr

... autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies. Ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of ITS and traffic engineering experience, including experience on VDOT, MDOT, and/or design-build projects.

Forterra

Navigation Lead

Arlington, VA · On-site

$180K - $300K/yr

Partner closely with autonomy, perception, hardware, and vehicle integration teams to define system ... D. in Engineering or a related field * 8+ years of relevant experience in state estimation ...

General Motors

Senior AI/ML Engineer

Richmond, VA · On-site +1

$103K - $142K/yr

The Data Labeling Engineering team designs, builds, and operates hybrid human/machine data labeling tools and pipelines that power autonomous vehicle machine learning models within General Motors' AV ...

Forterra

Android Development Lead

Arlington, VA · On-site

$150K - $220K/yr

Collaborate with autonomy and networking engineers to enable robust communication under constrained ... Background in defense, robotics, or autonomous vehicle domains. * Strong systems thinking ...

Cmu

Machine Learning Engineer - Autonomy Lab

Arlington, VA · On-site

$117K - $155K/yr

... specific autonomous systems. You are familiar with simulation environments and their role in ... land-based vehicles. You have experience applying machine learning within these domains and ...

SAIC

Lead Systems Engineer

Sterling, VA · Hybrid

Engineering and Sciences Subcategory: Systems Engineer Schedule: Full-Time Shift: Day Job Travel ... Experience working the development of autonomous vehicles

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All JobsAutonomous Vehicle Engineer JobsAutonomous Vehicle Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Autonomous Vehicle Engineer information

See Virginia salary details

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$53

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How much do autonomous vehicle engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for autonomous vehicle engineer in Virginia is $53.17, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $42.88 and $61.73 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are autonomous vehicle engineers?

Autonomous vehicle engineers are professionals who design, develop, test, and implement the technologies that enable vehicles to operate without human intervention. They work on a range of systems, including sensors, artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, and control systems to ensure safe and efficient self-driving capabilities. These engineers often collaborate with experts in robotics, software development, and automotive engineering to advance the functionality and reliability of autonomous vehicles.

How do Autonomous Vehicle Engineers typically collaborate with other teams during the development process?

Autonomous Vehicle Engineers often work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including software developers, hardware designers, safety experts, and data scientists. Collaboration is essential, as engineers must integrate sensor data, develop real-time algorithms, and ensure that autonomous systems interact safely with their environment. Regular cross-functional meetings, code reviews, and joint testing sessions are common practices to align on project goals and solve complex challenges. Effective communication skills are crucial, as engineers frequently translate technical requirements between different teams to ensure a cohesive final product.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Autonomous Vehicle Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Autonomous Vehicle Engineer, you need a strong background in robotics, computer science, and electrical or mechanical engineering, often supported by a relevant degree. Proficiency in programming languages like C++, Python, and ROS, as well as experience with sensor fusion, machine learning, and simulation tools, is typically required. Excellent problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and adaptability help engineers navigate complex challenges and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams. These skills and qualities are crucial to ensure the safe, innovative, and effective development of autonomous vehicle systems.
What are popular job titles related to Autonomous Vehicle Engineer jobs in Virginia? For Autonomous Vehicle Engineer jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Autonomous Vehicle Engineer jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Autonomous Vehicle Engineer jobs in Virginia are:
Autonomous Vehicle Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Autonomous Vehicle Engineer job openings in Virginia as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 95% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $110,595 per year, or $53.2 per hour.

Senior Payloads Software Engineer

Forterra

Arlington, VA • On-site

$120K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago

Job description

About Forterra
At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance.
Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives at risk. Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments.
About the role
Forterra is seeking a senior software engineer with a passion for autonomous systems. In this role, you will design, develop, and field software solutions that enable intelligent behavior in robotics and automation technologies. You will directly support real-world missions across our fleet of ground vehicles operated by our national security customers around the world.
The ideal candidate has a strong software development background, familiarity with robotics and autonomous systems, and proven track record of collaborating with a cross-functional team of engineers, researchers, and product managers to create robust and scalable software for complex systems.
What you'll do
  • Bring payloads into real operations: Integrate and deploy paylaods on customer-bound hardware platforms and validate it in real-world conditions.
  • Build with users and stakeholders: Work across the organization and directly with end-users to deliver new behaviors, payload integrations, and emerging mission use-cases.
  • Optimize the full system: Take a holistic view of autonomous vehicle behavior-how sensing, compute, controls, and other subsystems interact-and drive overall performance improvements.
  • Close the loop from test to deploy: Analyze test results, identify issues and root causes, and collaborate with engineering teams to drive problems to resolution
  • Connect product needs to R&D execution: Partner across business development and engineering teams to translate customer requirements into delivered autonomy capabilities.
  • Travel: Travel ranging from 10-25% and 25-50% depending on candidate preference and role placement. Ability to commute to Arlington, VA as needed.

Qualifications
  • 3 or more years of relevant experience
  • B.S. in computer science, engineering, robotics, or related field or relevant experience/show of skill
  • Experience in integrating software on hardware systems, including sensors, effectors, and compute platforms
  • Strong programming skills in languages in C/C++ (preferred)
  • Experience vehicle networks and diagnostics (CAN, CAN-FD, Ethernet, FlexRay, UDS/J1939) and to logging/trace tools
  • Solid core software engineering skills: software design, unit testing, debugging
  • Ability to consistently deliver production-quality software in a continuously integrated environment
  • Strong understanding of algorithms, data structures, and software design principles
  • Demonstrates clean, maintainable code and documentation practices
  • Experience working in teams and a willingness to proactively solve problems

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience in software development for robotics and autonomous systems
  • Experience working with open architectures (e.g., IOP, MOSA, SOSA, FACE, or similar)
  • Experience with safety-critical systems (e.g., MIL-STD-882, ISO-26262, DO-178)
  • Experience programming in languages in Python and Java
  • Experience with ROS2
  • Experience with state machines and motion / path planning
  • Experience with issue tracking (JIRA)
  • Knowledge of navigation, mapping algorithms and robot perception
  • Familiarity with real-time operating systems and embedded programming
  • Leadership experience on cross-functional software teams

US Salary Range
$120,000-$200,000
The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra's overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:
  • Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
  • Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
  • Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
  • Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
  • A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
  • A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
  • Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.
  • 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.
Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.

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