Software Engineer

About the Company:Vantari is a specialist recruitment consultancy connecting engineering and technology professionals with innovative organisations across the defence, aerospace and advanced technology sectors.We are currently supporting an early-stage defence technology company developing autonomous underwater vehicles for complex operations in GPS- and communication-denied environments.About the Role:We are looking for a Senior Autonomy Software Engineer to take ownership of the autonomy and perception stack for a new underwater vehicle platform.You will develop capabilities including autonomous navigation, mission and path planning, object detection, sensor fusion and obstacle avoidance. Working within a small engineering team, you will contribute across the complete development lifecycle, from architecture and software development to simulation, vehicle integration and field testing.Qualifications:This role would suit a hands-on engineer who has successfully deployed autonomy or robotics software on real physical platforms.You should be comfortable taking full ownership of your work and operating in a fast-moving, early-stage environment. Direct underwater experience is valuable but not essential; backgrounds in UAVs, autonomous vehicles, maritime robotics or defence robotics are also relevant.Requirements:5+ years of experience in autonomy, robotics, perception or related software engineeringStrong C++ and Python programming skillsExperience with autonomous navigation, path planning, perception, sensor fusion or obstacle avoidanceProven experience deploying software on real-world robotic or autonomous platformsExperience with ROS or ROS 2 and LinuxFamiliarity with computer vision or machine-learning frameworks such as OpenCV, PyTorch or TensorFlowExperience with embedded computing platforms, ideally NVIDIA Jetson or CUDAUS citizenship or Green Card required, as visa sponsorship is not availableBenefits:Early-stage equity of approximately 0.5%Health, dental and vision insurance401(k)Relocation support