Lead Systems Engineer, Autonomy

We’re Blue River, a team of innovators driven to create intelligent machinery that solves monumental problems for our customers. We empower our customers – farmers, construction crews, and foresters - to implement safer and more sustainable solutions, driving increased profitability with less reliance on scarce labor. We believe that focusing on the small stuff – pixel-by-pixel and task-by-task - leads to big gains. With our partners at John Deere, we have the ability to bring innovative computer vision, machine learning, robotics, and product management solutions to scale production, maximizing their potential impact.

Our people are at the heart of what we do. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, this mission-driven and daring team is eager to define the new frontier of mobile robotics. We are always asking hard questions, rapidly iterating, and getting our boots in the field and on-site to figure it out. We won’t give up until we’ve made a tangible and positive impact on the planet. 

Blue River Technology is based in Santa Clara, CA.

Summary

Our team has been on a path to providing operator-free automation to John Deere vehicles since 2018. As we scale our product offering along the autonomy journey, a key team member is the Lead Autonomous Systems Engineer. As a Lead Autonomous System Engineer, you will be a leader responsible for architecting new features and shepherding them through the development process. In this role, you will work with a team of exceptional design engineers to brainstorm new features, create concepts of operations, detailed documentation and requirements, develop verification and validation test plans, and maintain stakeholder alignment along the way. A well-qualified candidate will possess in-depth technical experience in developing complex safety-critical systems, employing a creative and solution-oriented approach. You will collaborate with our engineering teams to break down features into actionable tasks and requirements. The schedule is ambitious, and the agricultural season waits for no one. We tackle our objectives with multi-functional engineering teams consisting of systems and embedded software, test and QA, mechatronics, computer vision and machine learning engineers. Our team is empowered to figure out how to overcome challenges, plan and prioritize work – everyone is a key contributor.

Job Responsibilities

The primary job responsibilities are noted below. 

• Work across teams, gathering and analyzing critical data to architect new features, define metrics, qualify systems for release, and influence system design decisions based on evidence-based insights.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to derive requirements in alignment with safety, regulatory, and product needs.
• Create and maintain clear, precise documentation to support system designs, decisions, and processes while ensuring buy-in from stakeholders and fostering a collaborative team culture.
• Coordinate the integration of features from concept through verification and validation to fleet deployment.
• Investigate field issues and bugs and drive action toward resolution.

Required Experience and Skills

• 5 or more years of relevant engineering work experience demonstrating the ability to tackle technical challenges, analyze cross-disciplinary problems, and propose innovative solutions in the context of autonomous systems.
• Experience with data collection, statistical analysis, and developing metrics to support system evaluation or improvement.
• Proven ability to contribute to or lead cross-functional initiatives, driving alignment and ensuring stakeholder engagement throughout the development process.
• Strong skills to clearly communicate verbally and in writing, and produce clean technical documentation to effectively present complex ideas to diverse audiences.
• Ability to quickly work in a start-up environment, help team members outside of your lane,  and manage multiple ongoing projects.
• Knowledge of ISO-18497, ISO-26262, ISO/PAS 21448 or similar (DO-178, ARP-4754, IEC 62304, etc.)

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience with large-scale system architecture, including integrating hardware and software systems in a regulated or safety-critical environment.
• Proven track record of defining and implementing process improvements that enhance productivity, test coverage, or system reliability.
• Hands-on experience in embedded system development, software development, and/or verification and validation of such systems.
• Knowledge of automotive, robotics, or related industries, particularly in areas like safety systems, motion planning, or perception systems.

At Blue River, we’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity.  While we have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion, we’re investing in our programs, including recruiting, mentorship, career development, and learning & development to ensure they support our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals. We support each employee in living a full life, enabling a thriving career, and accomplishing a meaningful, challenging mission while collaborating with incredible people. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align completely with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation. 

The US annual base salary range for this position is $142,000 - $250,000, along with eligibility for Blue River’s bonus and benefit programs. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process. During the recruitment process, we may identify an alternative role or level to which you are more suited. If your ideal role at Blue River differs from the advertised position, we will provide an updated pay range as soon as possible during the hiring process.

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