Chief Engineer Autonomous Trucking (m/f/d)

Partner with Product Management Work in an extremely tight loop with Product Management: they own what the customer needs, you own how and by when we deliver it in lockstep alignment with engineering management. Translate product intent into technical execution clarity; challenge unclear scope, unclear priorities, or missing system implications early. Shape realistic sequencing between product ambition and engineering capacity.

Build trusted, eye-level working relationships with truck OEM engineering teams and manage the joint technical interfaces, handovers, and delivery commitments. Act as the strong technical counterpart to Sales, Supply Chain, and Operations: connect program needs with sourcing timelines, service concepts, and operational readiness. Create alignment across internal engineering teams and domains on priorities, interfaces, and expected delivery contributions.

Be a Senior Technical Leader Operate with high autonomy and high judgement; represent the technical program in reviews up to C-level. Be a calm, credible, and sharp voice in high-stakes discussions, internally and towards partners and customers. Raise the bar on accountability, collaboration, and delivery discipline across workstream leads and domain experts, without creating unnecessary process overhead.

What you bring to the team: Engineering degree in a relevant field (e.g. Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or comparable). 10+ years of experience in autonomous driving or field robotics, ideally with several years in autonomous trucking. Outstanding technical depth across the full autonomous driving system: autonomy software (perception, planning, control, end to end planner architectures), autonomy hardware (compute, sensors, user interfaces), base vehicle hardware architecture, and system integration.

Proven experience delivering complex systems in regulated environments; defense background is a strong plus but not mandatory. Outstanding technical project and program management skills: roadmapping, critical path management, risk management, and delivery steering of multi-team workstreams. Track record of working with vehicle OEMs, ideally truck OEMs, on joint development and integration programs.

Outstanding communication skills: condensate complex technical discussions into actionable items per team. Systems thinker: you think in milestones and integration maturity, not in isolated component optimization. Fluent in English; German is a strong plus.

High ownership, pragmatic, hands-on mindset; willingness to travel to OEM, partner, and test sites. Your Benefits: Direct impact: See your contributions rapidly integrated from cutting-edge research into industrialized products, flying in the field within short development cycles. Culture & Environment: A dynamic, fast-paced, and collaborative startup environment with flat hierarchies, efficient collaboration, and a strong emphasis on continuous learning opportunities.

Work-life Balance: We offer flexible work schedules, and 30 days of paid vacation each year to support your personal and professional life. Lunch Benefit: We promote healthy eating and the well-being of our employees with a monthly lunch budget. Health & Wellness: We support your physical well-being with a company-subsidized eGym Wellpass membership, giving you access to thousands of gyms and sports facilities.

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Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), table; dl-de/by-2-0; StarIn's calculation