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Director Autonomy Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Skyways

Autonomy Lead

Austin, TX

$101K - $133K/yr

Experience leading and developing engineers, including direct people management or a clear track ... Experience taking autonomy systems from development through operational deployment and iteration

AeroVect

Autonomy Intern

San Francisco, CA

If you have a passion for applying autonomous driving technologies to impact the flow of goods for ... Minimum internship duration is 4 months, with direct conversion to full-time available. In this ...

AeroVect

Autonomy Intern

San Francisco, CA · On-site

If you have a passion for applying autonomous driving technologies to impact the flow of goods for ... Minimum internship duration is 4 months, with direct conversion to full-time available. In this ...

Archer

Autonomy Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$170K - $215K/yr

Direct the development of safety-critical autonomy software, coordinating safety compliance with agencies like the FAA or NASA, and managing rigorous validation processes for flight control and ...

AeroVect

Staff Autonomy Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

... directing schedule, removing obstacles, designing/coaching the team to hit aggressive milestones ... Background in developing the autonomy (perception, localization, and planning) functions of a ...

AeroVect

Staff Autonomy Engineer

San Francisco, CA

... directing schedule, removing obstacles, designing/coaching the team to hit aggressive milestones ... Background in developing the autonomy (perception, localization, and planning) functions of a ...

Neros Technologies

Head of Autonomy

Torrance, CA

$100K - $400K/yr

You will own the core autonomy stack, construct and direct a rapid-iteration team, deploying GPS-denied navigation, terminal guidance, and swarm coordination into brutally contested environments.

Neros Technologies

Head of Autonomy

Torrance, CA · On-site

$100K - $400K/yr

You will own the core autonomy stack, construct and direct a rapid-iteration team, deploying GPS-denied navigation, terminal guidance, and swarm coordination into brutally contested environments.

Merlin Labs

Develop software across the stack of an aircraft autonomy system, contributing to lower level ... direct your inquiries to: [email protected] Merlin Labs does not accept unsolicited resumes from ...

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Director Autonomy information

What is a Director of Autonomy?

A Director of Autonomy is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and advancement of autonomous systems within an organization. This role typically involves managing teams of engineers and researchers, setting strategic direction for autonomy projects, and ensuring that technology solutions meet safety, regulatory, and business requirements. Directors of Autonomy are commonly found in industries like automotive, robotics, and aerospace, where self-driving or automated systems are being developed and deployed. They collaborate closely with other departments, such as software engineering, hardware, and product management, to ensure cohesive progress towards autonomy goals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Autonomy, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Autonomy, you need deep expertise in robotics, AI, and autonomous systems, usually supported by an advanced engineering or computer science degree and substantial leadership experience. Familiarity with technical tools such as ROS, machine learning frameworks, and simulation environments, as well as knowledge of safety and regulatory standards, is essential. Outstanding strategic vision, cross-functional leadership, and strong communication skills make a candidate stand out in this role. These skills and qualities are crucial for effectively guiding technical teams, ensuring project delivery, and driving innovation in complex, evolving autonomy domains.

How does the Director of Autonomy typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive autonomous systems development?

As a Director of Autonomy, you will regularly collaborate with engineering, product management, safety, and operations teams to ensure that autonomous systems are designed, tested, and deployed effectively. This role often involves aligning technical roadmaps with organizational goals, facilitating communication between software and hardware teams, and coordinating with legal and regulatory departments to meet compliance standards. Effective cross-functional collaboration is key to overcoming technical challenges and ensuring the seamless integration of autonomous technologies into products or services.

What is the difference between Director Autonomy vs Project Manager?

AspectDirector AutonomyProject Manager
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's degree, often with advanced degrees or industry certificationsUsually requires a bachelor's degree, PMP or similar certifications are common
Work EnvironmentStrategic leadership, overseeing departments or divisions, high-level decision makingOperational focus, managing specific projects, coordinating teams to meet project goals
Industry UsageUsed across various industries including corporate, non-profit, and government sectorsCommonly used in construction, IT, marketing, and other project-based fields

In summary, a Director Autonomy holds a higher-level strategic role with broader responsibilities and decision-making authority, while a Project Manager focuses on executing specific projects within defined parameters. Both roles require leadership skills, but their scope and focus differ significantly.

Infographic showing various Director Autonomy job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution.
Autonomy Lead

Autonomy Lead

Skyways

Austin, TX

$101K - $133K/yr

Full-time

Posted 8 days ago

Job description

Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. Founded in 2017, the company has spent the last eight years developing and deploying autonomous logistics systems for real-world operations.

Our V2 aircraft carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles, while our next-generation V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000+ miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a hybrid-electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long-range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure.

Today, Skyways aircraft operate across three continents in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight and in support of U.S. military operations. We are transitioning from prototype development to full-rate production and scaling toward large autonomous cargo fleets.

Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is creating a new form of transportation to advance our civilization from Austin, Texas.

The Opportunity

This role owns how autonomy works in real-world flight, and it owns the small team that builds it.


You will define how perception, state estimation, planning, and flight behaviors come together into a system that actually completes missions reliably. This is not about building isolated components. It is about making the full stack work under real constraints, and about leading a team of autonomy engineers to do the same.

You will shape how our ML systems improve with real-world data and ensure they perform outside of ideal conditions. You will lead technical direction for autonomy while remaining deeply hands-on in architecture, implementation, testing, and flight debugging. Your work directly impacts mission success, aircraft reliability, and operational deployment at fleet scale.

We are looking for someone who has already built and deployed autonomy systems on real-world robotic or UAV platforms, and who wants to grow a team while staying close to the code.

What You'll Do:

  • Own the end-to-end autonomy stack across perception, estimation, planning, and system behavior

  • Lead, manage, and grow a team of autonomy engineers, including hiring, onboarding, performance, and development

  • Be accountable for your team's output, technical standards, morale, and retention

  • Define system architecture and make tradeoffs across reliability, performance, and operational complexity

  • Set technical direction for autonomy while remaining hands-on in critical technical areas

  • Drive integration across autonomy, GNC, mission planning, and aircraft systems

  • Own how autonomy is validated across simulation, ground testing, and flight operations

  • Use flight data, telemetry, and operational feedback to identify failures and improve system performance

  • Drive how datasets, evaluation pipelines, and iteration loops improve deployed autonomy systems

  • Debug real-world autonomy failures and close gaps between controlled testing and operational deployment

  • Work closely with flight operations and hardware teams to improve reliability in real environments

What You'll Bring:

  • Experience building and deploying autonomy systems on real robotic or UAV platforms

  • Experience leading and developing engineers, including direct people management or a clear track toward it

  • Strong system-level understanding across perception, estimation, and planning, with depth in at least one area

  • Experience taking autonomy systems from development through operational deployment and iteration

  • Strong proficiency in C++ and Python

  • Experience debugging real-world autonomy failures using logs, telemetry, and system-level analysis

  • Experience working across software, hardware, and flight or field operations

  • Ability to make practical engineering tradeoffs under real operational constraints

  • Experience improving ML or perception systems using real-world operational data

Bonus Points If You Have:

  • Experience with autonomous aircraft or aerial systems

  • Background in robotics, computer vision, or motion planning

  • Experience with real-time or embedded systems

  • Familiarity with ROS2 or similar robotics frameworks

  • Experience deploying autonomy or ML systems to resource-constrained environments

Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!

Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.

Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.