Ground Robotics Systems Engineer

Job Description

GENERAL JOB SUMMARY:

Ground Robotics Systems Engineer responsible for taking autonomous ground vehicle control systems, including remote operation and platooning, from working prototype to a product that can be built repeatably and trusted in the field. This position sits at the point where speed and safety meet: our mission is to deliver the value of self-driving vehicle technology quickly and safely, and this role determines whether a promising prototype becomes something we can put in a customer's hands. The work spans electrical, embedded, software, communications and mechanical subsystems, and carries designs through verification, validation and production release.

The central requirement of this position is problem solving, beginning with what the customer needs and extending through architecture, design and the resolution of complex system failures. Programs in this group do not arrive as a finished requirements document. Customers present an operational problem, a rough concept, or a capability gap, and the engineer is responsible for defining what the system should be. Unlike environments where requirements are specified and traced from the outset, this position requires the ability to make decisions on incomplete information and take the lead in technical direction while applying production discipline to a design that is still in motion.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Own the system architecture from concept forward, including subsystem decomposition, functional allocation and interface definition
Turn an unstructured customer problem into defined requirements, interfaces and acceptance criteria the team can build against
Isolate and resolve faults that cross electrical, firmware, software, networking, mechanical and manufacturing boundaries, and drive them to root cause
Mature prototype designs into production-ready systems, closing open design risk, reducing variation and designing for cost and build
Design, build and test working prototypes across circuit design, embedded firmware, vehicle software and mechanical integration
Plan and execute verification and validation, including requirements traceability, design verification testing, environmental and durability testing, and EMC/EMI
Develop and tune control and estimation approaches, including feedback control, state estimation and sensor fusion
Own configuration control and the engineering release package, including schematics, interface control documents, drawings, bills of material and engineering change orders
Partner with production and manufacturing engineering on design for manufacturability and assembly, process capability, first article inspection, tooling and production test
Guide supplier and component selection, including qualification, second sourcing and obsolescence management
Put current AI and modern engineering tools to work, including simulation, model-based design and data analysis, to compress development cycle time and strengthen verification
Seek out and adopt new tools, methods and technologies on an ongoing basis
Work directly with customers and end users on technical matters
Travel to support testing, demonstrations, qualification, customers and fielded systems
Must be at assigned worksite during assigned hours 100% of time; less PTO, FML/STD/LTD

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS:

Mentor new engineers, Co-op and Interns
Contribute to the technical bid and proposal process
Other duties may be assigned

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

Provide technical direction to project engineering team and support staff

Experience And Skills

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Problem solving that goes past the symptom to the underlying cause, and the persistence to see a fix through to proof
Creative approaches when systematic methods stall, and the judgment to recognize when to change direction
Skill in translating an unstructured customer concept into defined requirements, interfaces and acceptance criteria
Command of the complete system, including how electronics, firmware, software, networking, sensing, actuation and mechanics affect one another
Proficient in applying current AI models as a productivity multiplier, including the judgment to review, verify and critique output rather than delegating complex technical work without oversight
Comfort applying production discipline to designs that are not yet fully defined
Proficient in verification and validation methods, including requirements definition and traceability, design verification testing and qualification
Familiar with design for manufacturability and assembly, cost drivers and the requirements of volume production
Proficient in configuration control and engineering release, including drawings, interface control documents, bills of material and revision integrity
Proficient in circuit design, including schematic capture, circuit analysis and design review
Proficient in the use of oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, meters and bench supplies
Familiar with analog and power fundamentals, including signal conditioning, filtering, grounding, noise, power distribution and EMC-aware design
Familiar with embedded firmware, vehicle buses and networking sufficient to design across, integrate and debug them
Familiar with feedback control and state estimation as applied to ground vehicles
Familiar with Linux environments, including shell, networking, services, device interfaces and log-based debugging
Effective collaboration within a multi-functional team in a fast-paced environment
Clear technical communication in writing, including drawings, instructions and procedures
Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information as required by government standards
Must have highly developed interpersonal skills and the ability to present and interact with customers and senior management
Must be a U.S. person with the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Background in automotive, heavy equipment or industrial machinery development, including OEM, Tier 1 or off-highway and agricultural equipment experience
Demonstrated depth in one or more of the following: Kalman filtering and GNSS/INS, model predictive or other advanced control, motor drives and inverters, CAN network and ECU firmware design, or radio mesh networking and RF fundamentals
Familiar with ground vehicle dynamics and drive-by-wire systems
Familiar with perception sensors and their failure modes, including LiDAR, radar, cameras and IMUs
Familiar with machine learning applied to perception or control
Familiar with PCB layout and design review, and CAD for enclosures, mounts and vehicle integration
Effective working relationships with production engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain and test organizations
Proficient in automotive or industrial design and quality practice, including DFMEA, PFMEA, design reviews, tolerance analysis, reliability and corrective action
Familiar with Robot Operating System (ROS/ROS 2) and version control
Familiar with applicable compliance standards for vehicle or industrial equipment, such as ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 26262 functional safety, EMC/EMI and environmental and ingress requirements
Proficient in Python and C/C++

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

BS in technical field (i.e., Engineering, Math, Physics or Computer Science) or equivalent experience
A minimum of 5 years' experience developing hardware and software systems, with substantial time spent building rather than specifying. This minimum reflects the judgment required to deliver against schedule, cost and customer commitments
Breadth of experience across electronics, firmware, software and integration rather than depth in a single specialty
Experience in development/test of microprocessor/computer-based control systems and related software
Experience owning the architecture of a system rather than a single component within one
Experience taking at least one design from prototype through to a released, manufacturable product, including the verification and quality work required for that transition
Automotive, heavy equipment, industrial machinery or defense ground vehicle development background
MS Office experience

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

On-site position requiring access to hardware, laboratory space, production areas and vehicles
Travel required to support testing, qualification, customers and fielded systems
Work performed in laboratory and outdoor test environments around vehicles and powered equipment

THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE INTENDED TO DESCRIBE THE GENERAL NATURE AND LEVEL OF WORK BEING PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED TO THIS CLASSIFICATION. THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE CONSTRUED AS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL RESPONSIBILITIES, DUTIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED OF PERSONNEL SO CLASSIFIED.

A REVIEW OF THIS CLASSIFICATION HAS EXCLUDED THE MARGINAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASSIFICATION THAT ARE INCIDENTAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF FUNDAMENTAL JOB JUTIES. ALL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE MODIFICATION TO REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THIS JOB PROFICIENTLY. THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE THE MINIMUM LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR ABILITIES.

EEO/M/F/D/V

Job Benefits

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Coverage
Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance
401(k) Savings Plan
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
Paid Time-Off (PTO)
Holidays
Education Reimbursement


Kratos Defense is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. EOE, Minorities, Females, Vet, Disabled, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or any other protected class. All qualified job seekers are encouraged to apply. Kratos Defense is committed to America's veterans by providing opportunities for them to continue contributing after service to our nation. We also work to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.

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