Autonomy Engineer

Overview

Autonomy Engineer – design, develop, and deploy machine learning models powering intelligent behaviors on unmanned aircraft systems. Work with autonomy frameworks and platforms to build resilient navigation, perception, targeting, and collaborative autonomy capabilities for the Department of Defense. Operate at the cutting edge of edge AI, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and real-time embedded systems to enable AI-assisted and autonomous mission execution.

• Design and train machine learning models for perception, object detection, tracking, and classification.
• Develop reinforcement learning and autonomy algorithms for navigation and mission execution.
• Implement sensor fusion models combining EO/IR, LiDAR, GPS-denied navigation, and telemetry data.
• Optimize AI models for deployment on edge compute platforms such as GPU, TPU, and embedded systems.
• Develop and integrate autonomy behaviors within platforms such as Hivemind.
• Implement mission planning logic and adaptive decision-making algorithms.
• Enable collaborative autonomy between multiple UAS platforms.
• Build simulation-based training pipelines for autonomy validation.
• Deploy containerized AI models to airborne and ground edge nodes.
• Optimize inference latency and resource utilization.
• Conduct hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing.
• Develop secure software pipelines aligned to DoD cybersecurity standards.
• Integrate AI outputs into tactical networks and mission command systems.
• Implement CI/CD pipelines for rapid model iteration and field updates.

• 3+ years of experience in software engineering, including AI/ML systems
• Experience with Python and C++
• Experience with deep learning frameworks, such as PyTorch, Tensor Flow, and ONNX
• Experience building and deploying AI models on edge hardware, such as NVIDIA Jetson, GPUs, and embedded platforms
• Experience with robotics middleware, such as ROS or ROS2
• Experience with computer vision or autonomous navigation systems
• Secret clearance
• Bachelor's degree

• Experience working in military exercises and war games
• Ability to support flight testing and operational evaluations
• Master's degree
• ML, AI, or Solution Architecture Certification

Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information;
Secret clearance is required.

Salary at Booz Allen is determined by various factors including location, education, knowledge, skills, and experience. The projected compensation range for this position is $99,000.00 to $ (annualized USD). This posting will close within 90 days from the Posting Date.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.