SkyGrid, a Boeing Company, exists to open the sky for autonomous flight. Based in Austin, Texas, SkyGrid builds ground based high-assurance third-party services to enable the safe operations and airspace integration of highly automated and autonomous aircraft. SkyGrid also acts as a key operational nexus for advanced air mobility, integrating and managing data, infrastructure, access, and traffic to support seamless and efficient air traffic services.
SkyGrid is seeking an Autonomy Engineer III to join our Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) R&D team to build the future of safe, efficient, and scalable Air Traffic Management (ATM) solutions. You will be responsible for taking autonomy concepts from early-stage ideas through prototyping and validation to establish system requirements.
In this role, you will focus on maturing autonomy capabilities to support technology maturation through prototype development. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, external partners, and customers. As an Autonomy Engineer III, you will be provided opportunities to establish yourself as an externally recognized leader for our technology. This position also involves occasional travel to support lab and flight test activities, and internal and industry demonstration events.
Performance Objectives:
- Develop, analyze, and evaluate enhancements to ground-based traffic surveillance solutions.
- Demonstrate successful testing and simulation results for one or more autonomy capabilities.
- Contribute to Technical Maturation Reports supporting progression towards Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5.
- Further mature capabilities beyond TRL 5 in concert with cross-functional teams such as software, product, and V&V.
- Build strong and collaborative working relationships with cross-functional teams and external partners.
- Ensure all developed code and models meet appropriate standards, for example DO-178C.
- Support deployment for field tests or demonstrations.
- Deliver multiple new functions and enhancements to SkyGrid services.
- Ensure all software artifacts – including models, generated code, handwritten code, and test cases – comply with applicable standards (internal and external).
- Lead technical reviews of assigned functions or enhancements with stakeholders.
- Engage with team members to learn and impart best practices to improve our organization.
Responsibilities:
- Take autonomy concepts through iterative R&D prototyping, testing, and analysis to generate formal system requirements.
- Implement algorithms using a variety of approaches with Simulink, C/C++, MATLAB, Python, and others as appropriate.
- Prepare documentation and contribute to varying technical documents, particularly technology maturation reports.
- Collaborate with internal teams to define functional and performance requirements for autonomy-based functions.
- Collaborate with software engineers to design and develop integration interfaces within the overarching product codebase.
- Participate in design reviews, Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) / Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, live flight testing, and demonstration events.
- Foster collaboration by engaging with external organizations, research institutions, and industry partners, as well as supporting technical publications and conference contributions.
Qualifications:
- Minimum 6 years of experience in autonomy, control systems, robotics, or aerospace software development.
- B.S. in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
- Work experience in algorithm development or R&D for autonomous systems.
- Experience with mathematical formulation of vehicle kinematics and dynamics, route planning, optimization, conflict detection and resolution algorithms
- Proficiency in software prototyping leveraging varied appropriate technologies such as Simulink, MATLAB, C/C++, and Python.
- Strong understanding of networking principles and communication protocols.
- Strong proficiency in authoring APIs, ICDs, and other technical documentation for software and hardware integration.
- Familiarity with R&D of algorithms and functions that enable autonomous systems.
- Development, integration, and testing in SIL/HIL simulation environments.
- Strong debugging, test design, and simulation skills in complex systems.
Highly motivated, solution-oriented individual with a strong analytical mindset, who can:
- define the problem statement.
- conduct state-of-the-art analysis.
- analyze problems that are not clearly defined.
- identify possible solutions.
- adapt solution scope to fit timelines.
Experience in R&D and functional development in one or more of the following areas:
- Transportation networks.
- Tactical or strategic conflict detection and resolution for air vehicles.
- Flight planning.
- Machine learning.
- Resource optimization.
- Advanced Air Mobility.
- Bayesian or probabilistic modelling.
- Control theory.
Preferred Qualifications:
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or related field — or equivalent industry experience.
- Completion of MathWorks certified training in topics such as Simulink, Model-Based Design, and Embedded Coder.
- Familiarity with aviation and air traffic management operations.
- Familiarity with developing software in alignment with industry standards, such as DO-178C.
- Experience developing software for Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS).
- Experience contributing to evolving system and software requirements.
- Strong interpersonal skills to work in a cross-functional team.
