AI/SLAM/Autonomy Engineer

Position: AI/SLAM/Autonomy Engineer Project: ECITON (Autonomous Swarm Platform) Location: Hybrid or Remote (Ukraine / US / EU) Employment type: Full-time Company: JDI Integrations About the Role: JDI is seeking a senior AI/SLAM/Autonomy Engineer to lead the development of the autonomy layer for ECITON, a distributed swarm-based drone platform designed for edge operations. You will be responsible for integrating visual SLAM, path planning, AI-based decision-making, and onboard ML inference into field- ready systems.This role is critical to enabling GPS-denied navigation, target detection, last-mile autonomy, and swarm coordination through the integration of AI models and ArduPilot-based flight controllers. Responsibilities: Design and integrate real-time SLAM pipelines (visual-inertial preferred) for autonomous navigation. Object tracking algorithms using OpenCV. Train and deploy lightweight ML models for onboard inference in real-world conditions. Integrate AI/ML modules for target detection and behavioral decision-making. Support GPS-agnostic navigation via sensor fusion and terrain-aware motion planning. Collaborate with embedded, full-stack, and hardware teams to align the autonomy stack with system- level constraints. Optimize performance on ARM-based edge compute platforms (Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano, etc.). Requirements: Minimum 7 years of experience in autonomy, robotics, or computer vision systems. Proficient in OpenCV, visual SLAM, and real-time localization. Strong skills in C++ and Python; experience with ROS/ROS2. Demonstrated experience with ML model training and deployment (TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc.). Ability to run perception and AI systems on embedded Linux hardware. Understanding of flight dynamics and real-time motion planning. Ability to debug and tune systems in field environments. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with ArduPilot, PX4, or similar UAV control frameworks. Familiarity with object detection models (e.g., YOLO, MobileNet) and model quantization. Experience with multi-agent autonomy, swarm logic, or distributed path planning. Background in defense, tactical robotics, or mission-critical systems. English level not lower than B1 (Intermediate). Agile development experience (Jira, Git). Locations: JDI operates globally, with offices in: USA and Ukraine. About JDI: Established in 2019, JDI is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) delivering critical systems and unmanned technologies to government, humanitarian, and commercial clients. With 140+ successful projects and a global track record, we specialize in expeditionary, autonomous, and secure field technologies. We take pride in being our customers trusted integrator from concept to field deployment. We make it happen. Join us to build what others won't even attempt.