Ironclad Defense Works

AI & Robotics Engineer

Norfolk, VA
Full Time
Experienced
AI & Robotics Engineer
Location: Norfolk, VA
Employment Type: Full-time
Travel: Up to 30 days per year
Security Clearance: Active DoD security clearance required

Role Overview
We are seeking an AI & Robotics Engineer to design, prototype, integrate, and support innovative technology solutions across robotics, autonomous systems, IoT, sensing, and edge AI. This role combines applied technology engineering with hands-on prototyping, systems integration, and software-enabled robotics with emerging AI and autonomy capabilities. The successful candidate will help deliver practical, mission-relevant solutions that can move quickly from concept to experimentation to operational use.

Key Responsibilities
  • Deliver integrated hardware and technology solutions to support innovation projects in robotics, autonomous systems, IoT, radio links, and sensing.
  • Support operational use of these solutions during experimentation and contribute to the rapid adoption of emerging technologies in military environments.
  • Design, prototype, and refine electronic and electromechanical components using 3D printing, PCB design, soldering, wiring, and related fabrication methods.
  • Integrate electronics with software, networks, and embedded or edge-computing platforms to ensure secure, resilient, and reliable system performance.
  • Develop and support robotics and autonomy solutions using ROS/ROS2, URDF, and related robotics frameworks and tooling.
  • Integrate and apply sensing technologies such as LiDAR, IMUs, GPS, accelerometers, and related components to support perception, navigation, localization, and autonomous behaviors.
  • Apply sensor fusion and state estimation techniques, including Kalman Filters, to improve robotic and autonomous system performance.
  • Work with robotics and sensor data pipelines and formats, including MCAP, to support system integration, testing, and analysis.
  • Apply knowledge of AI on the edge, machine vision, and advanced sensors to practical field-ready solutions.
  • Produce clear technical documentation, including technical guides, user and administrator instructions, integration notes, and step-by-step procedures in platforms such as Confluence.
  • Collaborate closely with software developers, engineers, and operational users to deliver integrated, mission-focused solutions.
  • Stay current on technology trends in robotics, IoT, AI, sensing, and automation, and evaluate their relevance to mission needs.
  • Use Agile, Design Thinking, and iterative prototyping methods to explore, validate, and refine innovative concepts.
  • Perform additional tasks related to innovation and technology integration support.

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Electronics Engineering, Information Technology, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline.
  • Professional experience in robotics, autonomous systems, applied electronics, or integrated technology development.
  • Experience with ROS and/or ROS2 in robotics or autonomous systems environments.
  • Experience using URDF to model robot structure, sensors, and kinematics in ROS/ROS2-based systems.
  • Experience with autonomy-related technologies and robotics software integration.
  • Familiarity with sensor fusion and estimation methods such as Kalman Filters.
  • Experience working with robotics or sensor data tooling, formats, or pipelines such as MCAP.
  • Experience integrating LiDAR, IMUs, GPS, accelerometers, and related sensing technologies into operational systems.
  • Strong hands-on prototyping and fabrication skills, including 3D printing, soldering, wiring, PCB design, and schematic drafting.
  • Experience integrating electronics with software, networks, and embedded systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to design and implement secure, resilient, and scalable systems, including redundancy and reliability considerations for operational or austere environments.
  • Ability to document solutions effectively in technical manuals, user/admin guides, and collaboration platforms such as Confluence.
  • Proven ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional and interdisciplinary teams.
  • Familiarity with Agile and Design Thinking practices applied to prototyping and user-centered experimentation.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and collaborative software tools.
  • Active DoD security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience supporting military, defense, or field-based experimentation environments.
  • Experience with AI on the edge, machine vision, and embedded or real-time processing.
  • Experience building deployable prototypes for operational users in constrained or austere environments.
  • Familiarity with low-bandwidth, radio-enabled, or distributed sensing environments.
  • Experience with robotics visualization, simulation, or testing tools.
  • Experience spanning both hardware prototyping and software-enabled robotics integration.

What You’ll Bring
You are a hands-on engineer who is comfortable working across hardware, software, robotics, autonomy, and sensing challenges. You can move from concept to prototype to integrated solution, and you bring the technical judgment to apply emerging technologies in practical, mission-driven ways. You thrive in collaborative environments, enjoy solving complex real-world problems, and can translate technical innovation into solutions that users can understand and employ.

How to Apply
Email your resume to [email protected] with the subject line: "AI & Robotics Engineer" or respond to this job posting via the included web application.

Ironclad Defense Works is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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