Freelance Autonomous Vehicle Testing Jobs in Kentucky

Senior Systems Engineer- Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Louisville, CO

Compensation: $100,000 - $160,000 / year

DescriptionAbout Stratom

Stratom is a mission-driven engineering company developing autonomous and unmanned ground vehicles and robotic systems for demanding industrial and defense environments. Our teams design, build, and deploy advanced systems that combine rugged mechanical platforms with cutting-edge autonomy.

We work across the full product lifecycle—from early concepts and prototypes through testing, field deployment, and production. Our engineers solve complex technical challenges while collaborating across mechanical, electrical, software, autonomy, and manufacturing disciplines.

About the Role

Stratom is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer specializing in autonomous robotics and complex electromechanical systems to provide technical leadership across the development, integration, and verification of advanced robotic platforms. We welcome candidates with systems engineering experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, heavy-duty equipment, industrial automation, commercial vehicles, aerospace, marine, rail, energy, or defense applications.

The ideal candidate combines strong systems thinking with hands‑on engineering experience and enjoys solving challenging integration problems in heavy‑duty, industrial, autonomous, or defense applications.

This is a hands‑on technical leadership role with a focus on execution, system ownership, and cross‑functional collaboration. The Senior Systems Engineer will spend the majority of their time driving system development activities while providing technical leadership across the organization:

80% – Systems Engineering & Project Execution

• Lead hands‑on systems engineering activities including system architecture, MBSE modeling, requirements development and traceability, interface definition, integration, verification and validation planning, technical analysis, and support of prototype development, testing, and field deployment.

15% – Technical Project Leadership

• Provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams by coordinating engineering activities, guiding system‑level decisions, facilitating trade studies, identifying technical risks, and helping drive successful execution across mechanical, electrical, software, autonomy, manufacturing, and test teams.

5% – Customer & Executive Technical Interface

• Support technical discussions with customers, partners, and company leadership by communicating system status, technical decisions, risks, and program progress.

Location

This position is based in Louisville, Colorado, with a strong preference for candidates who can work on‑site or in a hybrid capacity. Remote work may be considered for highly qualified candidates located in the Maryland/Washington, DC metro area or the Detroit, Michigan area to support collaboration with key team members and strategic program partners. Candidates in these locations should be available for periodic travel and in‑person meetings.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive systems engineering leadership across the full lifecycle, from concept through deployment, owning system‑level technical decisions and driving successful integration of complex systems.
• Lead requirements development, allocation, traceability, and verification/validation activities to ensure alignment with customer, regulatory, and system performance requirements.
• Lead system architecture development, interface definition, and technical trade studies to balance performance, cost, schedule, and risk across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software, autonomy, and manufacturing engineers to integrate hardware and software components into cohesive robotic systems.
• Guide robotic system development with a fundamental understanding of how system components interact to achieve operational goals and mission requirements.
• Support safety engineering activities including hazard analyses, FMEAs, and safety case development for autonomous systems.
• Coordinate and lead cross‑disciplinary integration activities across mechanical, electrical, software, and autonomy teams, ensuring interfaces are well‑defined, verified, and validated.
• Mentor engineers through technical guidance, collaboration, and the application of systems engineering best practices, tools, and processes.

QualificationsEducation + Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics, or related engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of experience developing complex electromechanical, industrial, autonomous vehicle, robotics, aerospace, or defense systems.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading systems engineering throughout the complete product lifecycle.
• Experience serving as the systems engineering lead or technical integration lead on multidisciplinary engineering programs.
• Expertise developing, allocating, and managing system requirements, interfaces, traceability, and verification strategies.
• Experience leading verification and validation planning and execution.
• Experience leading cross‑functional integration across software, electrical, mechanical, autonomy, and manufacturing teams.
• Experience facilitating technical trade studies and system‑level design decisions.
• Experience supporting system safety activities including FMEA, hazard analyses, and safety case development.
• Ability to mentor engineers and drive systems engineering best practices.
• Willingness to support hands‑on prototype integration, debugging, and field testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience bringing complex electromechanical, autonomous, robotics, industrial, heavy‑duty equipment, commercial vehicle, aerospace, marine, rail, energy, or defense products from development into production
• Experience leading architecture development using MBSE methodologies and tools such as Cameo or MagicDraw.
• Experience developing and maintaining system models using MBSE tools to define, analyze, and verify architectures in accordance with MOSA principles.
• Strong understanding of Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA).
• Experience with DoD acquisition programs or government‑funded development.
• Familiarity with ROS/ROS2 and autonomous software architectures.
• Experience with supplier technical management and hardware integration.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-882, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461/464, ISO 26262, or similar standards.
• Experience leading technical planning, risk management, and engineering execution across multiple teams.

Soft Skills

• Excellent systems thinking and engineering judgment.
• Strong technical leadership and mentoring skills.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands‑on execution.
• Comfortable leading technical discussions across multiple engineering disciplines.

Additional Requirements

This position requires eligibility to access information subject to U.S. export control regulations, including ITAR and/or EAR. Employees must meet applicable eligibility requirements including U.S citizenship.

A DoD Security Clearance is not required to begin employment ,but employees must maintain eligibility to obtain one.

Benefits

Stratom offers an array of benefits to eligible full‑time employees, including health insurance, life and AD&D insurance, a retirement investment plan, annual paid time off, and holiday pay.

Stratom is committed to providing Equal Opportunity in Employment, to all applicants and employees regardless of, race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, military status, veteran status, handicap, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

Stratom is a global leader in the development of unmanned ground vehicles and autonomous robotic systems that solve the most pressing real‑world logistics and operational challenges for commercial and defense applications. Specializing in unmanned cargo movement, robotic refueling, robotic hazardous liquid transfer and autonomous mobile robots (AMR), the company’s military‑proven tools, methods, technologies and strategic services solve the most difficult logistics and operational challenges. Whether in a safe, controlled settings or dynamic and challenging terrain, Stratom provides unique solutions to meet each customer’s specific needs. With its extensive expertise in R&D, engineering and system integration of autonomous technologies and solutions, Stratom, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, is the go‑to expert for global corporations, local businesses and government institutions.