Director, Autonomous Systems

Long Wall • Long Beach, CA

1d • $220,000 - $290,000

About The Position

Long Wall Company is seeking a Director of Autonomous Systems to lead the software, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), autonomy, and simulation capabilities supporting the Cyclops interceptor and RSX target vehicle programs. The role owns the technical strategy and execution needed to turn mission objectives into reliable, flight-ready systems across algorithms, modeling and simulation, embedded software, perception, autonomy, and vehicle-level integration.

The Director will provide technical leadership, build and develop a multidisciplinary team, guide system-level tradeoffs, establish scalable technical foundations, and help teams deliver high performance using cost-effective, producible hardware. The position requires moving quickly while maintaining engineering rigor and overseeing development from analysis and simulation through integration, testing, and flight performance.

The position typically works in an office environment and may require travel up to 25% of the time. It requires a national security suitability screening after offer acceptance and access to export-controlled information, for which US person status is required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• At least 8 years of experience developing aircraft, autonomous vehicles, missiles, spacecraft, or similar vehicles.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams through development, integration, testing, or operation of complex, safety-critical systems.
• Deep expertise in at least two of the following: GNC; development and validation of GNC algorithms, vehicle models, estimators, or flight software; modeling, simulation, mission analysis, and system-performance evaluation; perception, autonomy, image processing, target tracking, or sensor fusion for closed-loop applications; real-time or embedded software for flight-critical systems; trajectory design, optimization, or intercept analysis.
• Strong understanding of vehicle dynamics, estimation, control theory, and trajectory analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to simplify complex technical problems and drive them to reliable, testable solutions.
• Experience making and communicating system-level technical tradeoffs across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Ability to provide hands-on technical direction while building accountability and ownership within a growing team.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical topics to varied audiences.
• US person status, as defined in the posting, is required for access to information protected under US export control laws.
• Ability to use a computer to complete assignments and communicate with individuals and groups in person, by phone, and via telepresence.
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
• Successful completion of a national security suitability screening following offer acceptance is required.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant technical discipline.
• Experience with ballistic missile defense, interceptors, launch vehicles, spacecraft, hypersonic systems, or other high-performance flight vehicles.
• Proficiency with modeling, simulation, and analysis environments such as MATLAB and Simulink.
• Proficiency in one or more relevant programming languages, such as C, C++, Python, or FORTRAN.
• Experience developing or analyzing interception guidance and control systems.
• Experience developing perception, autonomy, image-processing, target-tracking, or sensor-fusion solutions.
• Experience with control systems for hypersonic or exo-atmospheric flight regimes.
• Experience implementing deterministic, real-time software in resource-constrained or tactical environments.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop or software-in-the-loop testing and simulation infrastructure.
• Proficiency in trajectory planning, trajectory optimization, or mission design, or use of related tools such as POST2.
• Experience supporting launch-day, flight-test, or on-orbit operations, including launch constraints and loads or GNC capability evaluation.
• Demonstrated success leading small, highly technical teams in fast-moving development environments.
• Experience transitioning advanced algorithms or software from simulation through integration, test, and flight.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture, development, integration, verification, and flight performance of autonomous systems, including GNC, flight software, perception, mission algorithms, and modeling and simulation.
• Translate mission objectives into system requirements, technical roadmaps, interface definitions, verification plans, and measurable performance criteria.
• Build software and simulation infrastructure for rapid development, testing, iteration, and deployment of flight-critical capabilities.
• Lead development and validation of guidance, navigation, control, trajectory-planning, estimation, perception, and autonomy algorithms.
• Apply modern computing, perception, and autonomy techniques to problems at the tactical edge.
• Establish high-fidelity modeling and simulation capabilities for design trades, hardware- and software-in-the-loop testing, mission analysis, and flight readiness.
• Make system-level tradeoffs across performance, reliability, cost, schedule, producibility, and computational constraints.
• Work with systems, avionics, sensing, propulsion, mechanical, test, manufacturing, and program teams to deliver integrated vehicle capability.
• Recruit, develop, and lead a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technical leaders.
• Set expectations for technical rigor, clear decision-making, rapid learning, and end-to-end ownership.
• Identify and reduce technical risk through analysis, simulation, prototyping, ground testing, and flight testing.
• Communicate technical decisions, risks, priorities, and program status to engineering teams and company leadership.

Benefits

• Heavily employer-subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Long Wall paid life insurance and LTD coverage.
• 4% 401(k) match.
• Student loan repayment assistance program.
• Paid parental leave.
• Family planning assistance program.
• Long Wall paid financial wellness program.
• Paid time off for non-exempt employees and flexible vacation policy for exempt employees.
• Equity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director