Applied Intuition
AI, Automotive, Defense, Trucking, Construction, Mining, Agriculture
LeadSoftwareEngineerAutonomy/PhysicalAI
“Lead Software Engineer - Autonomy/Physical AI at Applied Intuition. Skills: C++, backend engineering, autonomy challenges, physical AI. Design and implement high-performance backend systems in C++ for Axion and Acuity. Tackle hard autonomy challenges across multi-domain environments”
What You'll Achieve.
powering the future of physical AI; bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet; deliver physical intelligence; building the foundational systems that power multi-domain autonomous operations; enable autonomous systems to operate in contested and degraded conditions; ensure solutions meet real-world operational demands; your code ships; your decisions matter; your impact on national security is direct
Industry & Context.
Tackle hard autonomy challenges; think rigorously about correctness and performance
Must be a U. S. Citizen, Must hold or be eligible for a U. S. Secret security clearance, primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
6+ years professional software engineering experience, C++ at the core, Deep backend engineering fundamentals, systems programming, concurrency, performance optimization, distributed systems, CS/CE/EE (or similar) degree, Python proficiency for tooling, scripting, and integration work, Must be a U. S. Citizen, Must hold or be eligible for a U. S. Secret security clearance
Nice to Have
Genuine interest in autonomy, robotics, or physical AI, Exposure to or curiosity about multi-domain defense systems, Thrives in ambiguity
What You'll Do.
Design and implement high-performance backend systems in C++ for Axion and Acuity
Tackle hard autonomy challenges across multi-domain environments
reliable infrastructure that enables autonomous systems to operate in contested and degraded conditions
Own end-to-end execution of high-stakes engineering architecture through deployment
Contribute to the Ann Arbor site's rapid buildout
Interface with DOD programs and defense customers to ensure solutions meet real-world operational demands
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
Partner closely with autonomy researchers, product teams, and defense customers; work in small, high-ownership teams; Contribute to the Ann Arbor site's rapid buildout, helping shape team culture, technical standards, and engineering practices as we scale
Communication Scope
explain hard technical tradeoffs to both engineers and non-technical stakeholders
Process & Methodology
Own end-to-end execution of high-stakes engineering architecture through deployment
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