STR

Chief Engineer

Arlington, VA$233k–$320kmidAdded today

About this role

Lead the Collaborative Autonomy and Controls group at STR to develop multi-agent autonomous systems for national security applications. As Chief Engineer, you'll architect advanced technologies, build and mentor engineering teams, and partner with customers to solve complex defense and intelligence challenges using cutting-edge autonomy, machine learning, and software engineering practices.

What you'll do

Conceptualize, market, and capture new programs in autonomous systems and advanced technologies
Assemble and lead engineering teams (10-40 engineers) through full Agile development lifecycle
Develop system architectures and implementation strategies for multi-agent autonomous systems
Conduct software design reviews and define technical solutions for complex problems
Engage customers in problem definition, solution ideation, and capability ecosystem integration
Lead teams across diverse technology domains including perception, localization, controls, and collaborative autonomy

What they're looking for

Multi-agent systems and collaborative autonomy
Motion planning, constraint optimization, and control algorithms
Team leadership and Agile program management
System architecture and software design
Machine learning and AI architectures
Java, C++, Python, or Rust development
ROS, DevSecOps, and CI/CD pipelines
Customer engagement and technical proposal development

Benefits

Competitive salary range: $233,000–$320,000
Flexible hybrid work environment with remote options
Security clearance sponsorship (US citizenship required)
Opportunity to lead innovation in national security technology
Collaborative learning culture supporting deep technical work
Multiple office locations near Boston, Arlington, Dayton, Melbourne, and Carlsbad

Likely interview questions

Describe your experience developing and deploying multi-agent autonomous systems in operational environments.
How have you led engineering teams through the full Agile lifecycle, and what strategies did you use to maintain alignment across 10-40+ engineers?

Walk us through a complex system architecture you designed—what were the key technical decisions and trade-offs?
Tell us about a time you worked with external customers on a technology development program. How did you manage competing priorities or expectations?
What experience do you have with collaborative autonomy, motion planning, or constraint optimization, and how would you apply it here?
How do you stay current with advances in machine learning and AI, and how do you integrate those insights into your engineering strategy?
What motivated you to pursue a national security role, and what do you find compelling about autonomous systems development?

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