Chief Autonomy Flight & Simulation Software Engineer

Job Description

At Boeing, we innovate and collaborate to make the world a better place. We're committed to fostering an environment for every teammate that's welcoming, respectful and inclusive, with great opportunity for professional growth. Find your future with us.

The Boeing Company is seeking a Chief Autonomy Flight & Simulation Software Engineer to lead reusable autonomy software development on our Phantom Works team in Hazelwood, MO.

Phantom Works is where imagination meets engineering excellence - a place where bold ideas are shaped to transform the future of defense. Driven by curiosity and relentless problem-solving, our team pushes boundaries across aerospace, autonomy, emerging technologies and advanced materials to create breakthrough capabilities that keep people and warfighters safe, and missions successful. With a culture of collaboration, integrity, and rigorous testing, Phantom Works transforms daring concepts into trusted, operational solutions that inspire confidence and expand what's possible in the skies and beyond.

As the Chief Engineer for Phantom Works Autonomy Flight and Simulation Software
, you will own the reusable software, architectures, standards-based interfaces, and infrastructure that enable autonomy development from simulation through flight demonstration. You will provide technical leadership across virtual, hardware-in-the-loop, surrogate, and in-flight environments - accelerating reuse, compressing integration timelines, and improving flight readiness across Boeing Defense programs. This position requires an Active U.S. Secret Clearance for which the U.S. Government requires U.S. Citizenship.

This role spans Phantom Works, Boeing Defense programs, suppliers, and customers. You will define architecture, integrate advanced autonomy software, validate mission-critical capabilities, and support demonstrations that shape Boeing's autonomy future. If you are ready to bridge the gap between simulation and real flight on advanced defense platforms, we want you on our autonomy software team.

Build your Future with Us.

Position Responsibilities:

• Serve as single-point technical authority for autonomy flight and simulation software architecture, interfaces, and shared infrastructure across the BDS autonomy portfolio

• Direct technical strategy for reusable autonomy software from simulation through flight demonstration; govern standards-based interfaces, tool chains, and shared infrastructure investments

• Drive reuse across programs and platforms (MQ-28, MQ-25, CxR, Insitu, VWC, proprietary BDS programs) to compress integration timelines, reduce NRE, and improve flight readiness

• Coordinate across Phantom Works, BDS Test Bed Office, Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing Defense Australia, BDS, and BTI to align simulation, test, and flight software development

• Lead technical execution for high-visibility demonstrations and fleet exercises, including multi-vehicle Group 2-5 UAV and surrogate operations

• Prioritize portfolio-level investments in shared flight and simulation software; accept technical risk within the domain on behalf of the portfolio

• Ensure compatibility and readiness across virtual, hardware-in-the-loop, surrogate, and in-flight environments

• Manage day-to-day technical direction for 10 engineers; mentor early-career talent and establish engineering best practices

• Establish and continuously improve software workflows, change control, security processes, and software assurance across the portfolio

• Coordinate with customers, program leadership, software teams, and flight/test organizations to support integration labs, test assets, and flight test planning and execution

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills/ Experience):

• Bachelor's Degree

• Active U.S. Secret Security Clearance

• 14 years of software engineering experience

• 2+ years of experience modeling defense aircraft subsystems such as sensors, communications or stores management

• 2+ years of experience with the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration, and Modeling (AFSIM) and/or the Next Generation Threat System (NGTS)

• 2+ years of experience supporting flight test and/or live aerospace demonstrations

• 6+ years of experience of technical team leadership experience

Preferred Qualifications
: Desired Skills/Experience):

• Level 5 / Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited course of study in engineering, engineering technology (includes manufacturing engineering technology), chemistry, physics, mathematics, data science, or computer science and 14+ years of related work experience OR Bachelor's Degree and 18+ years of directly related work experience OR 22+ years of related, relevant experience

• 3 years' experience with autonomous systems and/or autonomy techniques Experience developing mission systems software on aircraft platforms

• 5 years' experience in integrating complex applications on Windows platforms

• 5 years' experience in integrating complex applications on Linux platforms

• 5 years of Python software development…