Title:  Scientist, Software Engineer (Swarm/Drone Automation)

Job Title:  Scientist, Software Engineer​ (Swarm/Drone Automation)

Requisition Number: 21048

Job Location: Nashville, TN; Palm Bay, FL

Schedule: 9/80 REG

Clearance: Must Have the Ability to Obtain a Top Scret/TSI Clearance

Job Description:

The Swarm AI Engineer will be at the forefront of developing and implementing AI algorithms that enable coordinated behavior and autonomous decision-making in swarms of drones. The Engineer will work on cutting-edge projects that require innovative thinking and a deep understanding of AI, robotics and drone technologies. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in AI, machine learning and robotics, with specific experience in swarm intelligence and multi-agent systems.

Our Values are an integral part of who we are. We seek candidates who share our values:

• Integrity
• Excellence
• Accountability
• Respect  

Essential Functions:

• Algorithm Development: Design and develop AI algorithms for swarm intelligence, enabling drones to communicate, collaborate and perform tasks autonomously in a coordinated manner.
• Simulation and Testing: Create and utilize simulation environments to test and validate swarm behaviors, ensuring robustness and efficiency before deployment in real-world scenarios.
• Real-Time Processing: Implement real-time data processing and decision-making algorithms to facilitate dynamic adaptation of the swarm to changing environments and mission requirements.
• System Integration: Integrate AI algorithms with drone hardware and software systems, ensuring seamless operation and communication within the swarm.
• Optimization: Optimize swarm algorithms for performance, scalability and energy efficiency, considering the constraints of onboard processing power and battery life.
• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including hardware engineers, software developers and field operators, to define requirements and deliver solutions that meet project goals.
• Research and Innovation: Stay current with the latest advancements in AI, swarm robotics and multi-agent systems and apply new techniques to enhance the capabilities of our drone swarms.
• Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation of algorithms, simulation results and system configurations for future reference and reproducibility.
• Field Testing: Conduct, together with our Ops teams, field tests and demonstrations to evaluate the performance of drone swarms in real-world conditions, making adjustments as necessary to improve functionality.
• Travels when required to support customer installation, demonstrations and general field support

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 12 years of software experience.
• Graduate Degree and a minimum of 10 years of software experience.
• In lieu of a degree, minimum of 16 years of software experience.
• 3+ years of experience in AI, machine learning, robotics, with specific experience in swarm intelligence or mult-agent systems.
• Experience with Agile development principles.

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Knowledge of military standards and regulations.
• Familiarity with the US DoD ground vehicle requirements a plus.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, as well as C++, Java or Rust.
• Experience with machine learning frameworks and libraries such as TensorFlow, TensorFlow Lite, TensorRT, PyTorch, PyTorch Mobile, or scikit-learn.
• Strong knowledge of swarm intelligence algorithms and multi-agent systems.
• Familiarity with robotics software frameworks such as ROS (Robot Operating System).
• Understanding of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded systems.
• Experience with simulation tools like Gazebo, Webots, or custom simulation environments.
• Understanding of communication protocols and networking for drone-to-drone and drone-to-ground communication.
• Familiarity with edge computing platforms and hardware accelerators (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, Google Coral, ARM Cortex), with focus on NVIDIA Jetson Orin.
• Experience in deploying and optimizing models for edge computing environments.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to design innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with technical (software, AI, embedded systems, hardware) and non-technical stakeholders.
• High attention to detail and a commitment to ensuring the accuracy and quality of work.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

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