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Contract Autonomous Vehicle Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Fully understand and adhere to GSA Vehicle procedures. * Record and maintain appropriate vehicle ... Autonomy: Effectively work alone with limited guidance. * Adaptability: Adapt to changing work ...

Fully understand and adhere to GSA Vehicle procedures. * Record and maintain appropriate vehicle ... Autonomy: Effectively work alone with limited guidance. * Adaptability: Adapt to changing work ...

Fully understand and adhere to GSA Vehicle procedures. * Record and maintain appropriate vehicle ... Autonomy: Effectively work alone with limited guidance. * Adaptability: Adapt to changing work ...

Fully understand and adhere to GSA Vehicle procedures. * Record and maintain appropriate vehicle ... Autonomy: Effectively work alone with limited guidance. * Adaptability: Adapt to changing work ...

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Contract Autonomous Vehicle information

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$13

$23

$30

How much do contract autonomous vehicle jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average hourly pay for contract autonomous vehicle in Virginia is $23.70, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $20.72 and $25.96 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a contract autonomous vehicle?

A Contract Autonomous Vehicle professional is an expert who works on a temporary or project-based basis in the autonomous vehicle industry. Their responsibilities can include developing, testing, and deploying self-driving technologies, often for automotive, tech, or transportation companies. These professionals may work as engineers, software developers, safety drivers, or project managers, contributing specialized skills to advance autonomous vehicle projects. Contract roles allow companies to access top talent for specific needs without long-term commitments. This flexibility is particularly valuable in the rapidly evolving field of autonomous vehicles.

What are some common challenges faced by contract autonomous vehicle engineers when joining new projects?

Contract autonomous vehicle engineers often encounter challenges adapting to different teams’ workflows and proprietary systems, as each company may use unique simulation platforms, coding standards, and testing protocols. Rapid onboarding and learning new toolchains are crucial, as project timelines tend to be tight. Additionally, effective communication is key, since contractors frequently collaborate with cross-functional teams including software, hardware, and safety engineers. Flexibility and a proactive approach to problem-solving help contractors thrive in these dynamic environments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract autonomous vehicle operator?

To thrive as a Contract Autonomous Vehicle Operator, you need a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and strong attention to safety and detail, often supported by a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with autonomous vehicle technology, data logging systems, and GPS navigation tools is typically required, along with any relevant safety certifications. Excellent communication, problem-solving skills, and adaptability help operators respond effectively to unexpected situations and collaborate with engineering teams. These skills are crucial for ensuring the safe testing and operation of autonomous vehicles and for accurately capturing data needed to improve the technology.

What is the difference between Contract Autonomous Vehicle vs Contract Autonomous Vehicle Technician?

AspectContract Autonomous VehicleContract Autonomous Vehicle Technician
CredentialsRelevant certifications in autonomous systems, software, or vehicle operationTechnical certifications in vehicle maintenance, electronics, or autonomous systems
Work EnvironmentField testing, software development, data analysis in autonomous vehicle projectsOn-site vehicle maintenance, diagnostics, and system troubleshooting
Employer & IndustryAutonomous vehicle manufacturers, tech companies, transportation servicesAutomotive repair shops, autonomous vehicle service providers

The main difference is that Contract Autonomous Vehicles focus on the operation, testing, and deployment of autonomous vehicles, often involving software and system integration. In contrast, Contract Autonomous Vehicle Technicians specialize in maintaining and repairing autonomous vehicles, ensuring their systems function correctly. Both roles require technical skills but serve different stages of autonomous vehicle deployment.

What are the most commonly searched types of Autonomous Vehicle jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Autonomous Vehicle jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Contract Autonomous Vehicle jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Contract Autonomous Vehicle job openings:

U.S. Government Business Development Lead

TrustPoint

Sterling, VA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago


Job description

Join TrustPoint and Build the World's First Commercial GPS System in Space
GPS is a ubiquitous global utility in modern society; knowing one's location is critical for government, commercial, and personal applications. Still, today's solutions for determining location are unencrypted, susceptible to jamming and spoofing, and too often are both inaccurate and slow. These shortcomings make GPS insufficient for tomorrow's safety-critical and high-precision applications, a problem TrustPoint intends to solve.
TrustPoint is developing a fully commercial next-generation GPS/PNT system to provide significant performance, security, and reliability improvements for our users. Our system will provide users with better accuracy, faster Time to First Fix (TTFF), strong anti-jam and anti-spoof capabilities, and will support U.S. Government position and timing service resiliency along with next-generation commercial applications such as drone delivery, autonomous vehicles, urban air mobility, and augmented reality. The $260B annual GNSS hardware, software, and data services market is ripe for disruption and improvement, and TrustPoint intends to lead that revolution with commercial infrastructure and services.
The Position
TrustPoint is seeking a full-time U.S. Government Business Development Lead to expand the company's defense, civil, and national security business. This individual will identify and shape opportunities, build trusted customer relationships, develop capture strategies, and help convert TrustPoint's technical capabilities into funded programs and operational service adoption.
This is a hands-on growth role consisting of business development activities, government acquisition, strategy, and technical translation. You will work closely with executive leadership, engineering, product, and program teams to position TrustPoint's resilient C-Band positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities against priority needs; and move opportunities from early engagement through proposal, award, and transition.
The role is deliberately broad. You may spend one day meeting with a warfighter or acquisition organization, another developing a capture plan or white paper, and another aligning internal teams around a demonstration, partnership, or contracting path. Success requires strategic judgment, disciplined follow-through, and the ability to communicate credibly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
As an early member of TrustPoint's government growth function, this individual will have significant opportunity to shape the company's U.S. Government strategy, customer engagement model, capture processes, and long-term transition pathways as the business scales.
We'll Expect You To...
  • Own and grow a qualified pipeline across the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, civil agencies, and other U.S. Government customers with missions that depend on resilient PNT, timing, space, autonomy, communications, or critical infrastructure.
  • Build durable relationships with operational users, laboratories, acquisition organizations, program offices, contracting organizations, congressional and policy stakeholders, and industry partners.
  • Identify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities based on customer need, strategic fit, competitive position, funding availability, acquisition pathway, probability of award, and likelihood of transition.
  • Lead early opportunity shaping: conduct customer discovery, define mission use cases, translate needs into solution concepts, and position TrustPoint before requirements and solicitations are finalized.
  • Develop and execute capture strategies for competitive and sole-source opportunities, including SBIR/STTR Phase II and Phase III, TACFI/STRATFI, BAAs, CSOs, OTAs, FAR-based contracts, demonstrations, studies, and commercial service acquisitions.
  • Coordinate proposal development from bid/no-bid through submission: establish win themes, compliance structure, schedules, responsibilities, partner inputs, pricing assumptions, reviews, and final production.
  • Partner with technical and product leaders to accurately represent system maturity, performance, interfaces, demonstration plans, risks, schedules, and customer integration requirements without overcommitting the company.
  • Support awarded programs and demonstrations when business-development continuity is needed to maintain customer trust, secure follow-on funding, and transition prototypes into operational use.
  • Help establish repeatable government growth processes, templates, metrics, and decision frameworks that scale beyond individual relationships.

You'll Need to Have...
  • 7+ years of relevant experience in U.S. Government business development, capture, acquisition, program management, operational requirements, government relations, or a closely related field. Exceptional candidates with fewer years and directly relevant accomplishments are encouraged to apply.
  • Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with U.S. Government customers and convert mission understanding into concrete opportunities, funded activities, partnerships, or program outcomes.
  • Working knowledge of Department of Defense acquisition and contracting pathways, including the ability to navigate organizations, budgets, requirements, solicitations, and decision processes.
  • Experience leading or materially contributing to captures, proposals, white papers, or customer briefings for technically complex products or services.
  • Ability to understand sophisticated technical concepts and translate them into clear mission value, acquisition rationale, and differentiated customer messaging.
  • Strong strategic judgment and opportunity qualification discipline, including a willingness to recommend where TrustPoint should not invest time or bid resources.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with senior government leaders, operators, engineers, contracting professionals, executives, and external partners.
  • Ability to operate autonomously in a fast-paced startup environment, manage multiple pursuits, and drive work to completion without extensive organizational infrastructure.
  • Willingness and ability to travel regularly for customer meetings, conferences, demonstrations, and partner engagements, primarily within the United States.

We'd Like to See...
  • Experience in positioning, navigation, and timing; GPS/GNSS; alternative PNT; electronic warfare; space systems; satellite communications; autonomy; or another related mission area.
  • Established relationships within the U.S. Space Force, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Space Development Agency, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, or related research and acquisition organizations.
  • Experience transitioning a prototype, SBIR/STTR effort, demonstration, or research activity into a Phase III, program of record, production contract, or recurring service purchase.
  • Experience developing capture plans, competitive assessments, price-to-win inputs, teaming strategies, color-team reviews, or executive bid/no-bid recommendations.
  • Familiarity with federal budgeting and appropriations, including RDT&E, procurement, operations and maintenance, program objective memorandum cycles, and year-end funding dynamics.
  • Experience selling commercial products or services into government missions, particularly where adoption requires both technical integration and a new contracting or service-delivery model.
  • Active U.S. security clearance.
  • Prior military, civil service, acquisition, operational, engineering, or program-management
  • experience that provides direct insight into government customer needs and decision-making.

Cultural Fit
  • Thrive in a start-up environment
  • Effective communication style that instills a culture of optimism and positivity
  • Sense of humor and ability to proactively problem solve.
  • Encourages colleagues to think and plan strategically while executing well tactically.
  • Works well with all company levels and disciplines (i.e. Legal, HR, etc.).
  • Willing to "roll up sleeves" in a new venture, working closely with colleagues.

Compensation and Benefits
The selected candidate will be competitively compensated based on qualifications and experience to include salary, equity (stock options), opportunity for annual bonus, and company standard benefits. The salary band for this position is $163,000 to $212,000.
TrustPoint, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.