Director Autonomous Driving Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Location: Reston, VA Our team is seeking an accomplished technical leader to serve as the Chief Engineer for Autonomous Maritime Systems. The Chief Engineer provides senior‑level technical authority for the design, development, production, deployment, and sustainment of advanced autonomous undersea vehicles and uncrewed maritime platforms. The ideal candidate has extensive experience taking complex maritime autonomous systems from early concept and prototype development through production transition and operational deployment. This role requires broad technical depth across autonomy software, naval architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, power and energy systems, marine robotics, navigation and sensing, acoustic communications, cyber‑resilient architectures, and systems engineering. The Chief Engineer will guide technical strategy, lead multi‑disciplinary engineering teams, drive rigorous design and verification practices, and ensure that our engineering solutions meet demanding operational, environmental, and safety requirements for maritime missions. Responsibilities • Lead end‑to‑end engineering activities including concept development, requirements specification, detailed design, integration, test, verification, validation, production transition, sustainment, and obsolescence management. • Ensure complex maritime systems mature from prototype to production-ready platforms, including manufacturability, cost‑effectiveness, quality assurance, maintainability, and alignment with Navy certification and safety standards. • Direct multi-disciplinary engineering teams spanning autonomous system software, mechanical and electrical engineering, hydrodynamics, buoyancy and stability, acoustic and RF communications, energy systems, payload integration, and maritime control systems. • Drive systems engineering rigor, including definition of performance objectives, requirements management, MBSE practices, baseline management, and architecture trade studies. • Collaborate with government customers, and industry partners to ensure solutions meet mission needs and evolving operational concepts. • Support customer engagements and business development activities by articulating technical solutions, shaping conceptual designs, and contributing to competitive proposals and white papers. • Lead investigation and resolution of high‑priority technical issues on mission‑critical programs. • Mentor engineering staff, develop emerging technical leaders, and foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and strong engineering discipline. Required Qualifications and Skills • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, systems engineering, naval architecture, or a related field. • At least 8 years of leadership experience developing and delivering undersea military systems. • Demonstrated experience developing autonomous maritime or undersea systems and driving them through prototyping, field testing, and production transition. • Experience managing technical risks and resolving critical issues in high‑visibility programs. • Ability to travel up to 25%. • US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED; Successful candidates will be subject to a security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Desired Qualifications and Skills • Systems architect experience with broad cross‑disciplinary engineering knowledge (systems, mechanical, electrical, software, cyber security). • Experience designing, integrating, and testing underwater vehicles including hydrodynamics, buoyancy/stability, hull structures, propulsion and control, energy systems, and payloads. • Expertise in underwater autonomy, navigation systems, sonar, batteries, and acoustic/RF/optical communications. • Experience analyzing data from autonomous undersea systems including motion, navigation, communications, acoustic sensors, and AI/ML methods for performance evaluation. • Demonstrated experience executing the full engineering lifecycle for complex military systems from concept through sustainment. • Proven ability to engage and influence customers, assess requirements, and adapt technical solutions to evolving needs. • Experience developing technology roadmaps and guiding IRAD investments. • Successful track record contributing to competitive proposals for engineering development and manufacturing programs. • Excellent oral and written communication skills. • Experience leading large, distributed, multi-disciplinary engineering teams. • Familiarity with Navy safety requirements, safety review boards, and operational procedures for autonomous undersea systems. • Experience with open maritime autonomy architectures such as UMAA or MOSA, and model-based system engineering (MBSE), configuration, and requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS and CAMEO).