Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions

About the role

Applied Intuition is rapidly scaling its defense product ecosystem in Ann Arbor! We're looking for talented backend C++ engineers at all levels, who are ready to work on some of the hardest autonomy challenges in physical AI today.

You'll be a core contributor to Axion and Acuity, our flagship defense products, building the foundational systems that power multi-domain autonomous operations. This is not a maintenance role. You'll architect, implement, and own backend infrastructure that runs at the edge of what's technically possible, in environments where the stakes are real.

The A2 team sits at the intersection of Applied's commercial technology velocity and defense-grade requirements, giving you access to a rapidly evolving product suite and real world impact. You'll work in small, high-ownership teams where your code ships, your decisions matter, and your impact on national security is direct.

At Applied Intuition, you will

Design and implement high-performance backend systems in C++ for Axion and Acuity, Applied's core defense autonomy products

Tackle hard autonomy challenges across multi-domain environments, from unmanned ground and aerial platforms to broader joint-force integration scenarios

Build scalable, reliable infrastructure that enables autonomous systems to operate in contested and degraded conditions

Partner closely with autonomy researchers, product teams, and defense customers to translate mission requirements into robust software solutions

Own end-to-end execution of high-stakes engineering workstreams; architecture through deployment

Contribute to the Ann Arbor site's rapid buildout, helping shape team culture, technical standards, and engineering practices as we scale

Interface with DOD programs and defense customers to ensure solutions meet real-world operational demands

We're looking for someone who has

3 + years of professional software engineering experience, with strong C++ at the core

Bachelors in Computer Science or similar field of study

Deep backend engineering fundamentals: systems programming, concurrency, performance optimization, and distributed systems

Genuine interest in autonomy, robotics, or physical AI; you want to understand how your code connects to machines operating in the real world

Exposure to or curiosity about multi-domain defense systems - you don't need a defense pedigree, but you're excited to develop one

Strong CS/CE/EE (or similar) foundation; you think rigorously about correctness and performance

Python proficiency for tooling, scripting, and integration work

Thrives in ambiguity & comfortable driving clarity and progress in fast-moving, high-stakes environments