Senior Software Engineer - Autonomy Systems

Role Summary

We are seeking an exceptional Software Engineer to strengthen the behavior and planning backbone of our autonomy stack. Our ground vehicles operate in punishing off-road terrain with degraded GPS and intermittent comms. Your job is to make sure the software deciding where they go is reliable, fast, and safe. You will own the end-to-end reliability, performance, and architecture of the planning system, bridging algorithmic research and physical reality.

You are a true generalist and a relentless problem solver. You're as comfortable designing a fault-tolerant, multi-node system as you are profiling cache misses in a C++ trajectory generator. You raise the bar for everyone around you through design, code review, and example.

What You’ll Do 

• System Architecture: Design robust, fault-tolerant architectures for autonomous operations, including IPC patterns, data flows, and state management across the behaviors and planning stack.
• Performance: Profile, benchmark, and optimize critical-path C++ to reduce latency, enforce timing contracts, and maximize compute efficiency on edge hardware.
• Cross-Domain Integration: Partner with Perception, Planning, and Controls experts to turn prototype algorithms into cohesive, production-grade software.
• Observability: Build logging, debugging, and offline-evaluation hooks into the design from the start.
• Root-Cause Triage: Serve as the last line of defense for system-level bugs: race conditions, memory issues, and timing problems across subsystem boundaries.
• Raise the Bar: Give rigorous, constructive code reviews. Identify and pay down complexity. Help grow early-career engineers.
• Own It Through Deployment: Follow your work past merge into field tests and make sure it achieves its intent on real vehicles.

Minimum Qualifications 

• BS or MS in Computer Science or a related field.
• 5+ years developing and deploying production software.
• Expert modern C++ (17/20) in large, concurrent, or distributed systems.
• Able to read and write Python fluently.
• Rigorous CS fundamentals: data structures, complexity, concurrency (threads, atomics, lock-free design), and memory management.
• Proven experience with profiling and debugging tools (e.g., GDB, perf, sanitizers).
• Comfort with ambiguity and changing requirements. You break complex problems down and keep moving.
• Willingness to support periodic field testing.

Desired Experience & Qualifications 

• Experience deploying software on robots, autonomous vehicles, or aerospace platforms. Not required. Strong systems engineers from AV, simulation/games, or low-latency domains are encouraged to apply.
• Familiarity with off-road / unstructured environments or GPS- and comms-degraded operation.
• Working knowledge of 3D geometry, linear algebra, or kinematics.

 Location:

The Location for this role is Seattle, WA

Compensation And Benefits

Pay Range: $150,000 - $230,000 annually

Actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Overland AI believes in creating a work environment that you look forward to embracing every day. 

Benefits Include:

• Equity compensation
• Best-in-class healthcare, dental and vision plans. 
• Flexible PTO
• 401k with company match
• Parental leave
• Monthly wellness stipend
• One-time workplace & productivity reimbursement

Overland AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran or military status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

This position may involve access to export-controlled technology. Employment is contingent on the ability to comply with U.S. export control laws.

Overland AI provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans during the application process. Please contact [peopleops@overland.ai] to request an accommodation.

About Overland AI 

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Overland AI is transforming land operations for modern defense. The company leverages over a decade of advanced research in robotics and machine learning, as well as a field-test forward ethos, to deliver combined capabilities for unit commanders. Our OverDrive autonomy stack enables ground vehicles to navigate and operate off-road in any terrain without GPS or direct operator control. Our intuitive OverWatch C2 interface provides commanders with precise coordination capabilities essential for mission success.  

Overland AI has secured funding from prominent defense tech investors including 8VC and Point 72, and built trusted partnerships with DARPA, the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command. Backed by eight-figure contracts across the Department of Defense, we are strengthening national security by iterating closely with end users engaged in tactical operations.