Autonomy Software Engineering Director

 This role will lead and oversee the development, release, and maintenance of SSCI’s portfolio of AI-enabled Autonomy Software for cutting-edge aerospace and unmanned systems. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in managing the end-to-end lifecycle of Aerospace, Maritime or other Mission-critical Enterprise or Embedded Software products, from requirements through deployment, with a focus on delivering high-quality, mission-critical systems.

The Autonomy Software Engineering Director will play a pivotal role in shaping the technical direction of our software products, managing cross-functional teams, shepherding a transformation to Digital Engineering practices, and ensuring that our software meets both internal standards and regulatory requirements. This is a leadership role that requires technical expertise, strong management skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

If you are an experienced aerospace/mission-critical software professional with a passion for innovation, mission success, and team leadership, we encourage you to apply and be part of a company dedicated to advancing the future of AI-enabled Autonomy technology.

Essential Functions:

• Lead the company’s Autonomy Software Digital Engineering efforts.

• Manage and mentor a team of software engineers in the development, integration, and maintenance of AI-enabled Autonomy Software for unmanned systems of critical national significance.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and technical excellence within an agile software development team aligned with modern DevSecOps and Digital Engineering principles.

• Oversee the full software lifecycle, from requirements definition through development, integration, testing, release, and post-deployment support.

• Work closely with autonomy Technology, Solutions and Product development teams on the integration and test of advanced AI-enabled Autonomy Software interfaces, architecture, and functionality.

• Lead the team in adopting and executing Agile software development practices, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.

• Ensure timely delivery of software releases while maintaining high quality and meeting mission requirements.

• Drive the adoption and integration of Platform One DevSecOps  and Digital Engineering methodologies for secure and scalable software deployment pipelines.

• Ensure software security, compliance, and risk management standards are embedded throughout the software development lifecycle.

• Manage software releases, including configuration management, documentation, maintenance and lifecycle support.

• Coordinate with other Integrated Product Teams to ensure smooth deployment and updates for mission-critical systems.

• Lead troubleshooting, diagnostics, and root cause analysis for post-launch software issues.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for technical discussions regarding Autonomy Software products, providing updates and risk assessments to senior management, stakeholders, and customers.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment of software development activities with program goals and customer needs.

• Ensure adherence to industry standards and best practices for Autonomy Software development, testing, and deployment.

• Identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and optimization in software development and maintenance workflows.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications:

• 12+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 7 years in a leadership role managing enterprise-level Software development teams for aerospace, maritime or mission-critical systems.

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.

• Proven experience with AI or Autonomy Software product development, including successful software releases and long-term software maintenance for aerospace or defense systems.

• Strong knowledge of aerospace, maritime and/or C2 mission systems and their specific software requirements.

• Demonstrated experience with Agile software development practices, including Scrum or Kanban, and integration with DevSecOps principles.

• Demonstrated experience with Platform One DevSecOps framework and tools (or equivalent), including CI/CD, automated testing, security scanning, and infrastructure as code (IaC), using DevSecOps tools such as Jira, Confluence, and Gitlab.

• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in Aerospace, Real-time Embedded and/or Mission-critical Software development (e.g., C, C++, Python).

• Familiarity with software verification and validation processes for aerospace and/or mission critical systems, including functional and performance testing.

• Prior experience leading, mentoring, and developing high-performance engineering teams.

• Strong project management skills with a history of managing multiple projects and competing priorities.

Preferred Addition Skills:

• Experience in AI and/or Autonomy Software is a plus.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

• Experience with enterprise software architecture, design, implementation, product delivery and support of complex, mission-critical systems for US Gov’t customers.

• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and their use in aerospace/mission-critical applications.

• Experience in model-based systems engineering (e.g., SysML, Cameo) and model-based development (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink) for aerospace/mission-critical and/or C2 software applications.

Benefits

Salary is competitive with market rates, with annual bonus awards based on company and individual performance. SSCI benefits package includes 401K, Health/Life/Disability Insurance.