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Director Autonomous Driving Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

AeroVect

Staff Autonomy Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Company Description At AeroVect, we provide autonomous driving solutions to some of the busiest ... directing schedule, removing obstacles, designing/coaching the team to hit aggressive milestones ...

AeroVect

Senior Planning Engineer (Autonomy)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$123K - $169K/yr

... directing schedule, removing obstacles, and coaching the team to hit aggressive milestones. * Lead a team of engineers bringing up all components necessary for reliable autonomous driving in the ...

AeroVect

Senior Planning Engineer (Autonomy)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$123K - $169K/yr

... directing schedule, removing obstacles, and coaching the team to hit aggressive milestones. * Lead a team of engineers bringing up all components necessary for reliable autonomous driving in the ...

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All JobsDirector Autonomous Driving Engineer Jobs

Director Autonomous Driving Engineer information

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$73K

$194.7K

$254K

How much do director autonomous driving engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for director autonomous driving engineer in the United States is $194,709.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $141,500.00 and $253,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director Autonomous Driving Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director Autonomous Driving Engineer, you need deep expertise in robotics, computer vision, sensor fusion, and machine learning, typically supported by an advanced degree in engineering or computer science and significant industry experience. Familiarity with tools such as ROS, simulation platforms, automotive-grade software systems, and relevant safety certifications (like ISO 26262) is crucial. Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and effective communication are essential soft skills for guiding multidisciplinary teams and collaborating with stakeholders. These abilities are vital for driving innovation, ensuring technical excellence, and delivering safe, reliable autonomous driving solutions.

What is the difference between Director Autonomous Driving Engineer vs Senior Autonomous Driving Engineer?

AspectDirector Autonomous Driving EngineerSenior Autonomous Driving Engineer
ResponsibilitiesOversees autonomous driving projects, manages teams, sets strategic goalsDesigns and develops autonomous driving systems, implements algorithms
Required CredentialsAdvanced degree (Master's/PhD), extensive experience, leadership skillsRelevant engineering degree, several years of experience in autonomous systems
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles in R&D teams, cross-department collaborationHands-on engineering in labs or development teams
Industry UsageCommon in tech and automotive companies for strategic rolesCommon in engineering teams focused on system development

The main difference is that the Director Autonomous Driving Engineer focuses on leadership, strategy, and project oversight, while the Senior Autonomous Driving Engineer is primarily involved in technical development and implementation. Both roles require relevant technical credentials, but the director position emphasizes management and strategic planning within autonomous driving projects.

How does a Director of Autonomous Driving Engineering typically collaborate with cross-functional teams within an organization?

As a Director of Autonomous Driving Engineering, you'll regularly collaborate with cross-functional teams such as hardware engineers, data scientists, product managers, safety and compliance experts, and user experience designers. Your role involves aligning the technical roadmap with business goals, ensuring seamless integration of software and hardware, and facilitating effective communication between departments. This collaborative approach is crucial for addressing complex challenges, maintaining project momentum, and ensuring the autonomous driving system meets safety, regulatory, and performance standards.

What does a Director Autonomous Driving Engineer do?

A Director Autonomous Driving Engineer leads and manages teams responsible for developing self-driving vehicle technologies. This role oversees the technical strategy, project execution, and integration of hardware and software for autonomous systems. Directors in this position collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, ensure safety and regulatory compliance, and drive innovation to advance autonomous vehicle capabilities. They also mentor engineers, set technical standards, and work with stakeholders to align product goals with business objectives.
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What cities are hiring for Director Autonomous Driving Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Director Autonomous Driving Engineer job openings:
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Director Autonomous Driving Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Autonomous Driving Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 43% Full Time, 55% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $194,709 per year, or $93.6 per hour.
Staff Autonomy Engineer

Staff Autonomy Engineer

AeroVect

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 11 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Lead and manage the hands-on development of the autonomous driving stack for structured logistics environments, including defining requirements, directing schedule, and building a team of engineers.

  • Design, implement, test, and support all aspects of ground vehicle autonomy, including planning, prediction, perception, localization, controls, and infrastructure subsystems.

  • Collaborate with vehicle engineering to create an integrated system, including sensor and compute selection and integration.

Job description

Company Description
At AeroVect, we provide autonomous driving solutions to some of the busiest airports and logistics hubs in the world. Backed by top-tier investors, AeroVect is shaping the future of structured autonomy, beginning with self-driving tow tractors.
If you have a passion for applying autonomous driving technologies to impact the flow of goods for millions of people, we want to talk to you!
Job Description
We are looking for a Staff Engineer who knows how to bring world-class system design to autonomous driving systems in structured, low-speed environments. In this role, you'll lead, manage and scale our core autonomy software team at a fast-paced, early-stage startup. Leveraging your experience building production-grade systems, you'll propel the AeroVect Driver to the next level, achieving category-defining vehicle autonomy for the airport operational design domain.
Your scope will include leading the system design and implementation of key improvements to critical modules that include planning, prediction, perception, localization, and controls, incorporating both cutting-edge techniques as well as proven, off-the-shelf approaches to support all autonomous driving and towing functions, creating unprecedented value and functionality for the modern supply chain.
The opportunity offers a technical, hands-on team leader the chance to help develop a market-defining enterprise product that combines autonomous vehicle technology with a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) business model. This role reports directly to our co-founders.
What You'll Do
  • Define, lead, and own the hands-on development of an autonomous driving stack for structured logistics environments, targeting milestones, growing the team, and working with internal/external partners - expect to spend 70% of your time performing hands-on development, with the remaining 30% defining requirements, directing schedule, removing obstacles, designing/coaching the team to hit aggressive milestones, and building a team of world-class engineers.
  • Lead a team of engineers bringing up all components necessary for reliable autonomous driving in the airside environment, including vehicle corridors and the apron.
  • Design, implement, test, and support all aspects of ground vehicle autonomy, including planning, prediction, perception, localization, controls, and infrastructure subsystems
  • Qualify all subsystems using objective measures, with an eye to functional safety and systems engineering best practices
  • Collaborate with vehicle engineering to create an integrated system, including sensor/compute selection and integration
  • Understand and keep up-to-date with state of the art

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
  • Strong CS fundamentals (via industry or research experience)
  • Background in developing the autonomy (perception, localization, and planning) functions of a deployed, autonomous vehicle
  • 5+ years high-performing engineering experience
  • 2+ years experience leading robotics software engineering teams
  • Industrial automation experience shipping safety-critical software
  • Experience shipping a working robotics or vehicle autonomy system
  • Candidates with unconventional experiences especially encouraged
  • Willingness to get hands-on and have lots of fun

Ideal Qualifications
  • PhD / advanced research or industry experience in vehicle autonomy or robotics
  • Background in safety-critical software/system development (preferably a ground robotics functional safety standard such as ISO 26262 or IEC 61508)
  • Prior experience developing and supporting all aspects of autonomy for a production ground-vehicle system, or research prototype (end-to-end, full lifecycle development preferred)
  • Startup experience in an engineering leadership role
  • Experience with ROS

Additional Information
AeroVect is a technology company that applies the latest advances in autonomous driving systems to create today the logistics centers and air cargo operations of the future. We work with major hubs around the world to bring self-driving tow tractors to life.
Our team of engineers and industry application specialists have collectively spent decades developing cutting-edge autonomy and aerospace technologies. Founded on the principles of safety, efficiency, and reliability, our mission is to deliver customer-first autonomy solutions that make logistics work for millions of people while having lots of fun on the way. Read more on our website at www.aerovect.com .
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
We're committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. That's why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of the best and brightest from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.
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