Head of Autonomous Flight Department

About AIRLIFT One

Based in the heart of Startup Nation, at the intersection of aerodynamics, autonomy, and electric propulsion – we are changing personal aviation.

AIRLIFT One enables you to travel 5 times faster than a car by introducing the world’s most efficient all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft: an air taxi for 2-5 people. You won’t have to own one, you will simply pay per ride and call it with a push of a button.

It’s our mission to make air taxis available to everyone and as affordable as riding a car.

Take-off and Land Anywhere

Quiet electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) is the technology that will change travel forever. It enables you to access city centers with an aircraft. Leaving the city after a stressful day will soon be transformed into a thrilling ride. By traveling through the air you’ll be able to avoid time-consuming traffic jams, while enjoying a magnificent view.

About the Role

We are looking for an outstanding Leader who will set up our Autonomous Flight Department to join our innovative team and thus shape the future of aerial e-mobility.

You will have the unique opportunity to work on our Autonomy System for the AIRLIFT One, essentially teaching our planes how to fly on their own. Shape things from scratch, from concept definition and evaluation to hardware selection and integration. Coordination with the authorities regarding the legal and operative framework is a vital part of this role.

You will design and develop state-of-the-art Deep-Learning-based computer vision, perception and decision-making algorithms that enable an autonomous aircraft to analyze, understand, and interact with its environment. Implement the above algorithms on high-performance on-board computer platforms within a scalable autonomy software architecture. Support the validation of the above algorithms using real-world and synthetic data from autonomous aircraft.

Tasks may include:

• Develop and evaluate the autonomy concept and manage the complete development life cycle from requirements definition to Qualification and Certification.
• Develop systems for probabilistic sensor fusion and data association using cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, IMU, GPS, etc.
• Write multi-threaded and GPU applications, estimation and localization applications, and probabilistic factor graphs; apply computer vision techniques – both classical and deep learning.
• Review and select suitable sensors and and integrate them into the autonomy sensor suite.
• Set up and roll out processes and tools for the department.
• Integrate autonomy components into avionics and flight control systems.
• Build, train, and develop a local team over time.
• Coordinate with potential partners and authorities.
• Actively help shape departmental processes.
• Work on any ad hoc projects or tasks.

Qualifications:

• Expertise in Deep Learning for computer vision, perception, and decision-making.
• M.Sc. or PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or similar.
• Extensive experience with autonomous systems, preferably aerial robotics.
• Experience with environmental perception and self-localization algorithms.
• Strong knowledge of current AI concepts and capabilities.
• Knowledge of sensor fusion techniques with proven application experience.
• Clear communication skills and team player mindset.
• High level of self-reliance and autonomous, target-oriented working style.
• Analytical problem-solving skills with a proactive, driven mindset.
• Fluent in English.