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Engineering Manager - Autonomy

Skydio
San Mateo, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 1/28/2026 CLOSED ON 3/15/2026

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Engineering Manager - Autonomy position at Skydio?

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios and beyond.

About The Role

Skydio is built around deep technological investments in autonomy that lead to breakthrough products. We are looking for world-class engineering leaders to scale up the autonomy team to deliver Skydio’s vision. Our small team has incredible technical strength in solving complex algorithmic challenges, and needs help growing to meet the product opportunities ahead. You will be responsible for one or more areas of ownership across core drone platforms, SW architecture, simulation, SDK, object detection, map infrastructure, situational awareness, computational photography, and state estimation. You will manage the execution of the product technology roadmap and be responsible for hiring, mentoring, and driving infrastructure investments that make us successful. We are open to candidates with a broad range of experience from tech leads to senior directors who are passionate about our mission.

How You'll Make An Impact

  • Leverage product insight, robotics and/or computer vision, and high quality software engineering to bring state-of-the-art autonomy technology to market
  • Execute on complex cross-team goals, collaborating across our product management, embedded, mobile, cloud, hardware, and flight test teams with emphasis on excellent communication
  • Hire and mentor elite engineers to scale up our team
  • Leverage your experience and best practices to uphold and improve Skydio’s engineering standards

What Makes You a Good Fit

  • Hands-on technical leader with strong software engineering experience
  • Deep understanding of topics in robotics, computer vision, and software systems
  • Proven leadership, management, recruiting, team building, and communication skills
  • Solid fundamentals in 3D geometry, mathematics, and linear algebra
  • Experience with hardware is a plus but not required
  • You love building flying robots and making them do amazing things in the world

Compensation: At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $170,000 - 276,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.

  • Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.

At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.

For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

Salary : $170,000 - $276,000

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