Lead Software Engineer | Robotics | SLAM | Autonomy

Lead Software Engineer | Robotics | SLAM | Autonomy
Location: Melbourne | Full-time
We're working with a fast-growing Australian deep-tech company building autonomous systems - real hardware, deployed into the field.
They're looking for a Lead Engineer to take ownership of complex engineering initiatives spanning robotics, autonomy and embedded computer vision - from architecture through to field validation. This isn't a role sitting behind a spec; you'll be defining the system architecture yourself, working closely with ML, control systems and hardware teams to build the backbone of an evolving product.
About youComfortable leading complex, end-to-end engineering initiatives with a high degree of autonomyStrong systems-level thinking and architectural design capabilityProven track record mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership across teamsAble to balance genuine hands-on delivery with strategic engineering directionWhat you'll be doingLeading the development of an embedded computer vision and control systemWorking across ML, control systems and hardware teams to deliver robust, full-stack solutionsDefining and driving scalable software architecture for new product features and platform capabilitiesLeading troubleshooting, testing, optimisation and technical decision-making during live field testingMentoring engineers through technical coaching, code reviews and day-to-day leadershipWhat you'll bring8+ years of commercial software engineering, including 2+ years operating at a technical leadership levelStrong experience in robotics, image processing, control systems, or an adjacent domainA solid understanding of state estimation techniques - SLAM, Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, GNSS integration, or similar probabilistic estimation methodsHands-on Rust experience, or strong C++ with meaningful exposure to RustA track record of taking complex systems from prototype through to productionDeep understanding of performance optimisation at both the algorithmic and systems levelComfortable working across embedded and Linux environments
Preferred background:
Genuine hands-on experience with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), robotics, or Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) is highly regarded. This role sits at the intersection of perception, estimation and autonomy - candidates coming from robotics platforms, autonomous vehicles, drones, or similar real-world autonomous systems tend to hit the ground running.
Why Apply?
Genuine ownership from day one - you're not inheriting a mature codebase, you're shaping the system architecture itself. Cross-disciplinary work spanning optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware - rare to get that breadth in one role.
Please apply for immediate consideration.