# Autonomy Engineer at Vatn Systems

> United Kingdom · Unspecified · Software engineering · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Avatnsystems%3A4371450009 (read 2026-11-13).

## Facts (observed)

- Company: [Vatn Systems](https://alderhq.app/companies/vatn-systems)
- Location text: Bristol RI; Bristol
- Where it can be done from (inferred): United Kingdom (evidence: "Location: Bristol RI; Bristol")
- Posted: 2026-09-02 (72 days ago)
- First seen by alder: 2026-11-07 · last verified: 2026-11-07
- Reposted: 0 times · edited: 0 times
- Apply on the employer's site: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vatnsystems/jobs/4371450009
- Skills listed (inferred): Python, Rust, C++

## Pay and sponsorship

- Posted pay: not posted

## Description (the employer's text)

We're looking for an Autonomy Engineer to build the software that makes our AUVs capable in the real world. You'll own features end to end — from whiteboard to sea trial — and see your code run on vehicles in the water within weeks, not quarters. If you want tight feedback loops between what you write and what a vehicle does, this is that job.

### What you'll do

- Develop motion planning, path planning, behavior planning, and control systems for autonomous underwater vehicles
- Build autonomy capabilities spanning navigation, collision avoidance, target following, station keeping, formation behavior, and multi-vehicle coordination
- Make autonomy algorithms robust to the conditions that actually break them: degraded sensors, uncertain environments, dynamic contacts, and GNSS-denied operation
- Own technical tradeoffs across performance, safety, reliability, latency, compute constraints, and mission requirements
- Work directly with perception and sensor engineers to turn perception outputs into safe, effective autonomy decisions
- Mature autonomy from prototype capability into reliable, repeatable, fielded behavior — including time on the water supporting test and deployment
### What you bring

- Strong engineering foundation — CS, Software Engineering, Robotics, Mathematics, Physics, or equivalent hands-on experience
- 3+ years writing production C++, Python, or Rust in a Linux environment
- Experience building robust data-driven software
- Ability to get up to speed quickly in complex, established codebases
- Proven results in simulation and field tests
### Nice to have

- Maritime sensors, underwater acoustics, or subsea systems
- Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in a relevant technical field
- ROS 2, or comparable robotics middleware
- Estimation and sensor fusion (INS/DVL, Kalman filtering)
- Prior startup and/or defense industry experience
Candidates must be U.S.Citizens and able to receive a Security Clearance.

Vatn is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

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Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Avatnsystems%3A4371450009 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.