Software Engineering Manager (Defense/PhysicalAI)

Applied Intuition•Arlington, VA

4d•$250,000 - $300,000•Onsite

About The Position

Applied Intuition is hiring an Engineering Manager to lead a team of 10–12 Software Engineers who own end-to-end execution of high-stakes projects. This player-coach role is responsible for scaling the team through hiring and development, setting technical direction across customer engagements, and establishing repeatable delivery practices that support deploying physical AI across platforms and customers while maintaining quality and speed. The manager will represent Applied Intuition with defense and government customers, own delivery outcomes across concurrent programs, and act as an escalation point when projects encounter ambiguity, changing requirements, or difficult technical tradeoffs. The role remains close to the technology through architecture reviews, integration planning, and direct technical involvement as needed. It spans software, hardware, and operational systems in customer-facing, mission-critical environments. The position works directly with defense and government customers to deploy, integrate, and operationalize vehicle intelligence products in military and government environments. The manager will bridge customer-built systems and Applied Intuition solutions, coordinate across internal engineering, product, and customer teams, and take ownership of technical outcomes through project completion. Applied Intuition expects full-time employees primarily to work from an Applied Intuition office five days per week, with occasional flexibility for remote work and schedule adjustments.

Requirements

8–12 years of industry experience.
At least 2 years of recent technical leadership exposure.
Production-grade software experience, including deployment of software or hardware systems to active customers rather than R&D or one-off projects.
Exceptional customer-facing skills and a focus on solving customer problems.
Demonstrated ability to mentor and lead engineering talent.
Strong engineering background; the posting identifies Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Electrical Engineering as preferred fields.
Broad technical experience across software engineering, operating systems, and some hardware.
Experience supporting integration and deployment of complex systems.
Exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and innovate in ambiguous, rapidly evolving operational environments.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Robotics, Aerospace, or a related field.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Background in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead a team of 10–12 Software Engineers, hiring and developing engineers and helping the team scale.
Set technical direction across customer engagements and establish repeatable project delivery practices.
Represent Applied Intuition with defense and government customers and own delivery outcomes across concurrent programs.
Serve as an escalation point for project ambiguity, changing requirements, and technical tradeoffs.
Review architectures, assess integration approaches, and provide direct technical support when programs need it.
Work with defense and government customers to deploy, integrate, and operationalize vehicle intelligence products in military and government environments.
Address technical challenges involving software engineering, operating system configuration, system deployment, and hardware integration.
Bridge customer-built systems and Applied Intuition solutions to deliver customer value.
Design scalable and consistent approaches to customer engagement and project execution.
Develop architectural solutions that improve consistency and scalability across projects.
Collaborate with internal engineering, product, and customer teams to achieve successful outcomes.
Own technical outcomes and drive projects to completion while adapting to changing requirements and priorities.