{"id":85417,"url":"https://alion.io/job/pivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics","title":"Autonomy Engineer - Robotics","company":{"id":35040,"name":"Pivotal","domain":"pivotal.aero","url":"https://alion.io/company/pivotal-aero","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":94,"open_postings":20,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.05,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":106,"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"}},"role":"Robotics","role_family":"Robotics","seniority":"junior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Palo Alto, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":155000,"max":175000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":175000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":2,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AirSim","optional":true},{"name":"ArduPilot","optional":true},{"name":"Autonomous Navigation","optional":true},{"name":"C++","optional":true},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":true},{"name":"Gazebo","optional":true},{"name":"Human-in-the-Loop","optional":true},{"name":"Isaac Sim","optional":true},{"name":"Linux","optional":true},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":true},{"name":"Model Predictive Control","optional":true},{"name":"Motion Planning","optional":true},{"name":"Obstacle Avoidance","optional":true},{"name":"Path Planning","optional":true},{"name":"Python","optional":true},{"name":"ROS","optional":true},{"name":"ROS2","optional":true},{"name":"Sensor Fusion","optional":true},{"name":"Simulink","optional":true},{"name":"SLAM","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-06-11T17:07:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-06-11","last_verified_at":"2026-10-18T12:50:03Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":128,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":[],"days_open":128},"description":"The Autonomy team at Pivotal develops advanced autonomy capabilities for our aircraft, enabling safe, precise, and reliable mission execution from takeoff to landing. We are seeking a autonomy robotics Engineer to support the development of next-generation perception systems for our autonomous aerial platforms, including the Helix family of systems.\nAbout the Role\nThe Autonomy team develops advanced autonomous capabilities for our aerial platforms, enabling safe and intelligent mission execution from takeoff to landing. We are seeking an Autonomy Robotics Engineer to design, develop, and deploy navigation, planning, and decision-making systems that operate reliably in dynamic and uncertain environments.\n\nYou will collaborate with perception, GNC, flight software, and hardware teams across the full autonomy stack - from simulation and algorithm development to flight testing and deployment on operational aircraft.\n\nThe ideal candidate combines strong robotics fundamentals with hands-on experience building and deploying autonomous systems on real-world robotic platforms. Experience with autonomous drones, PX4, and eVTOL aircraft is highly desirable.\n\nResponsibilities\nAutonomy & Path Planning\n\nDesign and develop autonomous navigation and mission planning systems for aerial robotic platforms.\n\nDevelop trajectory generation, path planning, and obstacle avoidance algorithms for dynamic environments.\n\nImplement behavior planning, mission management, and autonomous decision-making frameworks.\n\nDevelop autonomous capabilities for waypoint navigation, target tracking, landing, and mission execution.\n\nEvaluate and integrate state-of-the-art robotics and autonomy algorithms into operational systems.\n\nSoftware Development\nDevelop production-quality software for autonomous robotic systems.\nImplement autonomy algorithms in real-time embedded and Linux-based environments.\n\nOptimize autonomy software for performance, reliability, and deployment on resource-constrained platforms.\n\nContribute to software reviews, testing frameworks, and continuous integration processes.\n\nHardware Integration & Flight Testing\n\nIntegrate autonomy software with flight controllers, onboard computers, sensors, and communication systems.\n\nSupport hardware bring-up, system integration, and debugging activities.\n\nConduct software-in-the-loop (SITL), hardware-in-the-loop (HITL), and flight testing.\n\nAnalyze flight test data and identify opportunities to improve autonomy performance.\n\nCollaborate with hardware and flight operations teams to support deployment and field testing.\n\nEducation\nBachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.\nExperience\n2+ years of industry experience in robotics, autonomous systems, aerospace, or related fields.\nStrong proficiency in C++ and Python.\n\nExperience developing autonomy, navigation, or robotic control systems.\n\nStrong understanding of motion planning, path planning, and autonomous decision-making algorithms.\n\nExperience with robotics middleware such as ROS or ROS2.\n\nExperience developing software in Linux environments.\n\nHands-on experience integrating software with robotic hardware systems and sensors.\n\nExperience with simulation and testing frameworks for autonomous systems.\n\nExperience with MATLAB and Simulink for algorithm development, modeling, and simulation.\n\nPreferred Qualifications\nMaster's degree or PhD in Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.\n\nExperience with autonomous aircraft, UAVs, drones, or eVTOL systems.\n\nExperience with PX4, ArduPilot, or similar autopilot frameworks.\n\nExperience developing autonomy for multicopters, VTOL aircraft, or fixed-wing platforms.\n\nKnowledge of state estimation, localization, SLAM, and sensor fusion techniques.\n\nExperience with trajectory optimization, model predictive control (MPC), or advanced planning algorithms.\n\nExperience with NVIDIA Jetson, embedded Linux systems, or edge computing platforms.\n\nFamiliarity with Gazebo, Isaac Sim, AirSim, or other robotics simulation environments.\n\nExperience supporting flight testing and operational deployments.\n\nWhy Pivotal\nAt Pivotal, you'll work on some of the most challenging problems in autonomy, perception, and intelligent aircraft systems. You'll have the opportunity to develop technologies that move rapidly from concept to flight testing and deployment, working alongside a multidisciplinary team of engineers pushing the boundaries of autonomous aviation.\nAttributes aligned with Core Values\nSafety Above All: Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily work, identifying and mitigating risks, encouraging open dialogue about safety concerns, and continuously improving practices and protocols.\nCustomer Focus: Puts customers at the center of every action by understanding their challenges, delivering meaningful value, and supporting their success.\nWork Better Together: Seeks and values diverse perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication and commitment to shared decisions.\nBe the Pilot: Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes.\nEmbrace the Unknown: Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical approaches to overcome obstacles and drive progress.\nRespect for People: Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support by balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5742,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":2,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Military Logistics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-06-11T17:07:00Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":22,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.503,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":127,"expected_fill_days":106,"reasons":["conf:1","win:tail","crowd:junior"],"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":175000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/pivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/pivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-18T15:37:59Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":21480,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-19T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":35040},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=35040"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fpivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fpivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fpivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/pivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fpivotal-autonomy-engineer-ii-robotics"}]}