Head of Engineering, Defense OS

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 companys 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 .

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

The Navy is racing to break decades of closed single-vendor ship architectures. Combat systems C4I and hull mechanical and electrical (HM&E) systems run on separate vendor-locked compute with no shared data plane. The Navy is modernizing ship systems and requires a platform to unify it. A warship operating system (WarshipOS) is Applieds answer: the onboard and offboard infrastructure and application layer that create a unified compute and data platform across a ship and test across the manned and unmanned fleet. The goal is to become the software integrator for the Navy and it is built directly on Applieds commercial automotive VehicleOS foundation.

We are hiring a Head of Engineering to build and lead the DefenseOS engineering organization with an initial focus on building WarshipOS. You will own technical strategy and delivery across the products four pillars: a zonal compute architecture a data transport and SDK layer that frees data from proprietary subsystems and a modern SIL/HIL test environment with a digital twin. You will hire and grow a multi-disciplinary team and its technical leads set the bar for engineering quality and partner directly with product Navy customers and shipbuilders. This is a leadership role: you will direct specialists across combat-systems architecture hardware and EE perception and integration rather than owning every domain yourself.

• Build and lead the DefenseOS engineering organization. Hire structure and grow a multi-disciplinary team across platform and software EE and hardware architecture perception and fusion and integration and test and develop its technical leads.

• Own the technical strategy and roadmap across the four WarshipOS pillars: zonal compute data transport / API / SDK AI/ML perception and fusion platform and modern SIL/HIL test with a digital twin aligned to the broader DefenseOS strategy.

• Lead the zonal architecture. Drive the design and deployment of location-based zone controllers and centralized compute that replace federated domain-based designs and their interfaces to prime-built combat C4I and HM&E systems.

• Stand up the software and data platform. Direct the middleware APIs and SDKs that extract and unify data from sensor and mission systems behind a common data plane across classification levels.

• Set engineering best practices across hardware and software: architecture code review CI/CD automated and hardware-in-the-loop test performance and quality metrics suited to mission-critical field-deployed systems.

• Own program execution. Plan releases track progress against milestones across anchor programs surface risks early and deliver on schedule and to quality under acquisition and field constraints.

• Partner with product defense customers and shipbuilders/integrators as a design-informed engineering leader shaping operator-facing capability and the trade-offs that keep the roadmap mapped to operational value.

• Communicate status risk and outcomes to senior leadership escalate clearly and provide engineering input into program and business decisions.

• Engineering leadership at scale. Typically 12 years in software and systems engineering with 6 years leading engineering teams including managing other managers and technical leads and a track record of building and scaling a team from a small core.

• Software platform depth. Shipped complex software platforms that integrate real-time mission- or safety-critical systems: middleware data transport and APIs / SDKs that unify heterogeneous subsystems behind a common data plane.

• Hardware / software systems fluency. Led programs spanning hardware and software (compute architecture sensor and system integration lab-to-platform test) enough to set direction for EE / hardware and integration leads.

• Integrating modern compute with legacy closed subsystems. Built the gateways adapters and abstraction layers that connect proprietary or undocumented interfaces into a unified data plane.

• Delivery under hard constraints. Ownership of the full lifecycle from requirements through deployment and sustainment under reliability latency safety and field-readiness constraints with disciplined execution in ambiguous fast-moving programs.

• Cross-functional leadership and communication with product hardware operations customers and senior leadership including clear escalation of technical and schedule risk.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen

• Must hold or be eligible for a U.S. Secret security clearance

For more information about U.S. security clearances: click here.

• Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) or analogous commercial platforms where a zonal architecture and centralized compute replaced distributed domain-based controllers directly transferable to a warship operating system.

• Naval or maritime subsystems: combat / mission systems shipboard communications (C5I tactical data links SATCOM) or HM&E.

• Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) or other unmanned / autonomous platforms; familiarity with shipboard size weight power and survivability constraints.

• Prior naval service or fleet / operational experience.

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary equity and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units comprehensive health dental vision life and disability insurance coverage 401k retirement benefits with employer match learning and wellness stipends and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience credentials & certifications educational attainment skill level requirements interview performance and the level and scope of the position.

Dont meet every single requirement If youre excited about this role but your past experience doesnt align perfectly with every qualification in the job description we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently the parties agree that as applicable they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a) 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that as applicable they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471 Appendix A to Subpart A) relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.

FOR US-BASED ROLES: Applied Intuition is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive application and interview experience to applicants who are disabled veterans and other applicants with disabilities or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations are available requesting an accommodation will not affect your candidacy in any way and you are not required to disclose the nature of your disability or medical condition in order to make a request.
If you require an accommodation please contact . We will work with you!

Required Experience:

Director