Technical Lead - Autonomous & Unmanned Systems (FedD179)

Role overview A fully remote, senior engineering leadership role focused on advancing autonomy and unmanned systems software for U.S. government mission owners. The position blends hands-on technical direction with people leadership, guiding architecture, mentoring engineers, and partnering with product and operational stakeholders to deliver resilient platforms that perform in edge, remote, and disconnected environments.

Responsibilities - Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team of software and DevSecOps engineers across an autonomy and unmanned systems domain. - Own architectural decisions aligned with secure software development, application security, and CI/CD best practices. - Translate operational imperatives into product capabilities and shape a technical roadmap with product management. - Guide development of interfaces for managing individual assets and large fleets, including real-time, data-rich UIs. - Define and execute unit, integration, and user acceptance testing strategies to ensure resilient, mission-ready software. - Evaluate emerging technologies for impact on mission outcomes, architecture, and security posture, supporting demonstrations and operational exercises as needed.

Requirements - Proven experience leading technical teams building complex software systems. - Hands-on depth in at least two areas: autonomous/unmanned platforms; tactical-edge networking (BLE mesh, DIL/MANET, mesh radios); distributed systems (CRDTs, gossip, eventual consistency); or container and software supply chain tooling (Kubernetes, OCI). - Working familiarity with the autonomy and tactical-edge ecosystem, including ROS2/DDS, MAVLink, CoT/TAK, and at least one interoperability standard such as STANAG 4586/4817, JAUS, Link16/TADL-J, OMS/UCI, or MOSA/SOSA. - Track record defining technical roadmaps with product management and leading distributed engineering teams. - Strong communication skills suited to a fully remote, asynchronous environment. - U.S. citizenship is required, as the employer is a contractor for the U.S. government.

Nice to have - Experience with CoT message schemas and ATAK plugin development. - Background deploying edge AI hardware such as NVIDIA Jetson, Intel NUC, Raspberry Pi, or ruggedized compute in tactical settings. - Prior work supporting Authorization to Operate (ATO) processes within the Department of Defense. - Familiarity with automated infrastructure, integration, and system testing, plus Agile methodologies. - Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Benefits and work setup - Remote within the United States; compensation range of $178,500–$241,500 USD based on national benchmarking and candidate experience. - Medical, dental, and vision premiums covered at 100%, plus HSA contributions, life insurance, and disability coverage. - 401(k) retirement plan, company stock options, and a home office stipend. - Flexible paid time off plus federal holidays, a Thanksgiving week, and a two-week winter break, alongside paid parental leave. - Reimbursement for approved training, subscriptions, and conference attendance.