Principal Engineer – Autonomous Systems (m/f/d)

About This Opportunity

We are representing a confidential robotics organization building autonomous systems for demanding operational environments. They seek a Principal Engineer to take end-to-end technical ownership of mission-critical products where perception, reliability, and system performance directly impact field success.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role based in Munich with full on-site presence. You will carry final authority on architecture, integration, and deployment decisions—working directly alongside the engineering team, not from a management layer above it.

Responsibilities

• Own a complex autonomous system from architecture through field deployment
• Make final technical decisions across all subsystems and act as technical tiebreaker
• Build solutions directly in code alongside your team daily
• Prioritize ruthlessly, cutting scope that does not contribute to the next milestone
• Conduct field testing with measurable, binary pass/fail criteria
• Work directly with company leadership and end customers without intermediary layers
• Mentor engineers through building together, not from a distance

What We're Looking For

• Proven track record building and deploying real systems, products, or projects with actual users—not just planned or conceptualized
• Experience taking something from zero to production as the sole responsible party, with measurable results
• Deep expertise in real-time embedded systems, sensor fusion, or perception demonstrated through deployed systems
• Strong proficiency in C++ and ROS2 under latency constraints
• History of building something independently (a company, product, or project) where you carried full responsibility
• Track record of making engineers better by building alongside them and providing hands-on coaching
• Instinct to challenge requirements and ask whether they can be eliminated before accepting them
• Active builder who works on technical projects outside work hours
• Citizenship of a NATO member country or close ally
• Willingness to work on-site in Munich five days per week

How We Work With You

Candidates apply directly through Get A Job.ai. Our recruiting team conducts an initial screening to understand your background and ensure alignment with the role requirements. We then submit qualified candidates to our client for consideration. Please do not attempt to contact the client directly, as all communication is managed through our talent team to ensure a professional and coordinated process.

Pay

Compensation details will be discussed during the screening process based on experience and qualifications.

Equal Opportunity
Get A Job.ai is committed to inclusive hiring practices and considers all qualified applicants regardless of background.