Senior Autonomy Engineer (all genders)

STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionizing the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments.

We're focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems - not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe - today.

Your mission:

This is not a research role. We are looking for a Senior Autonomy Engineer to build the intelligence behind real UAV swarming - the algorithms that decide which vehicle attacks which target, how the swarm reorganises when conditions change mid-mission, and how 4+ loitering munitions coordinate autonomously to overwhelm adversary defences.

You will design and implement the swarm decision-making layer at the heart of Minerva Frontline, our Mission Management Software. This means building the optimisation and planning algorithms that sit above our existing mission planning engine, turning a set of operator-level objectives and battlefield conditions into coordinated, multi-vehicle strike missions - then dynamically re-planning them when the battlefield shifts.

This is Genesis-stage work. There is no off-the-shelf library for what we're building. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with our Software Architect and our backend team to take swarm coordination from concept to live flight demonstration. If you want to solve hard multi-agent problems that have real consequences in the physical world, this is the role.

This position will be located in Berlin or in Munich.

Responsibilities:

• The Swarm Brain: You will design and implement the task allocation engine that optimally assigns multiple vehicles to multiple targets - accounting for threat priority, approach geometry, timing constraints, and vehicle capabilities. Think auction-based allocation, Hungarian method, and constraint satisfaction - applied to coordinated strike.
• Dynamic Re-Planning: You will build the system's ability to adapt mid‑mission. When ISR reveals a target has moved, when a vehicle is lost, or when new targets appear, your algorithms re‑evaluate the situation and generate updated plans - pushed to vehicles in flight.
• The Optimisation Layer: You will build a new planning layer that sits above our existing static Mission Plan system. Your layer decomposes swarm‑level objectives into individual vehicle assignments, then delegates path generation to the existing engine.
• Simulation‑First Development: You will iterate rapidly in our SITL (Software‑in‑the‑Loop) simulation environment, testing swarm behaviours with 4+ virtual vehicles before anything flies. You will define the metrics that tell us whether the swarm is making good decisions.

Qualifications:

• An Autonomy Builder: You have 5+ years of experience building autonomous decision‑making systems - whether in robotics, aerospace, defence, automotive, or multi‑agent AI. You have taken planning or coordination algorithms from research to working code in production or field environments.
• Mathematically Fluent: You are comfortable with combinatorial optimisation, graph theory, constraint satisfaction, and multi‑agent coordination. You can read a paper on CBBA (Consensus‑Based Bundle Algorithm) and have a working prototype by end of week.
• A Strong C++ Engineer (non‑negotiable): You write production‑quality Modern C++. Python is fine for prototyping and simulation scripting, but the production planning engine is C++ and you must be comfortable owning that codebase. You understand that your algorithms must run in a real‑time C2 system where latency matters and reliability is non‑negotiable.
• Systems‑Minded: You don't just write algorithms in isolation. You understand how your planning layer integrates with the rest of the system - state management, gRPC services, telemetry feeds, and operator UX. You care about the interfaces as much as the internals.
• High Agency: You don't wait for perfect specifications. You work with domain experts to understand the operational need, define the problem mathematically, and build and iterate.
• Field‑Ready: You are willing to support live flight demonstrations and field trials, working alongside integration and hardware teams to prove that your algorithms perform under real‑world conditions.

For further information please reach out to

About us:

We are an equal‑opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Due to the nature of our work in the defense sector, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance required for the position.