Autonomy Engineer (Multiple levels)

Help Build the Future of Autonomous Flight

An exciting opportunity exists for Autonomy Engineers across multiple levels to join a rapidly growing Defence technology organisation developing next-generation autonomous aircraft and AI-powered mission autonomy systems.
Whether you're a Software Engineer looking to move deeper into autonomy, a Senior Engineer seeking greater technical ownership, or an experienced Staff Engineer wanting to shape the future of mission autonomy, this team is hiring across multiple levels.
Working within a highly capable multidisciplinary engineering team, you'll help design, build and deploy real-world autonomous capabilities for uncrewed systems. This is a hands-on engineering opportunity operating at the intersection of software engineering, robotics, AI, perception, planning and control systems.
You'll be contributing to the technology that allows autonomous aircraft to perceive their environment, make decisions and execute missions safely in complex operational environments.
Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop autonomous behaviours for uncrewed aircraft.
• Develop software supporting mission autonomy, planning and decision-making.
• Work with real-world sensor data and contribute to sensor fusion solutions.
• Develop and test autonomy capabilities using simulation, software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop environments.
• Integrate autonomy software with aircraft systems and third-party platforms.
• Collaborate closely with AI, robotics, systems and software engineering teams.
• Contribute to software architecture, code quality and engineering best practice.
• Support testing, validation and deployment of autonomy capabilities.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to technical leadership opportunities appropriate to your experience level.

What You'll Need To Succeed

• Degree qualified in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Robotics, Aerospace, Mechatronics or a related discipline.
• Commercial experience developing software with modern C++.
• Experience working on robotics, autonomy, aerospace, perception or related technical systems.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals and problem-solving capability.
• Experience delivering reliable software within complex engineering environments.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Highly Desirable

• Autonomous systems, robotics or uncrewed systems experience.
• UAV, aerospace or Defence project experience.
• Sensor fusion, state estimation or perception systems.
• Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC).
• Path planning or mission planning algorithms.
• Real-time systems development.
• Simulation, software-in-the-loop (SIL) or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments.
• AI, machine learning or advanced autonomy experience.

What You'll Get In Return

• Work on cutting-edge autonomous aircraft and AI-driven mission systems.
• Join a highly technical team solving complex, real-world engineering challenges.
• Exposure to robotics, autonomy, AI, perception and advanced aerospace technologies.
• Opportunity to remain hands-on while growing your technical influence.
• Long-term career progression across multiple engineering levels.
• Melbourne-based roles supporting next-generation Defence and autonomy programmes.

If you're passionate about autonomy, robotics and building software that will directly influence the future of autonomous systems, we'd love to hear from you.Click Apply Now or send your CV to lauryn.reddick@hays.com.au.
#3014833