The world’s hardest problems need the world’s smartest people.
The Role
Design and implement mission-critical autonomous systems integrating heterogeneous sensors and effectors. Develop real-time state estimation, threat detection, and AI-driven decision systems. Build reliable, scalable integrations with sensors, effectors, and autonomous platforms, and collaborate with robotics, hardware, and systems teams to deliver fail-safe defense solutions.
Summary Generated by Built In
A World-Changing Company
Palantir builds the world’s leading software for data-driven decisions and operations. By bringing the right data to the people who need it, our platforms empower our partners to develop lifesaving drugs, forecast supply chain disruptions, locate missing children, and more.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join a newly-formed team focused on developing advanced autonomous systems for area defense. This role involves building state-of-the-art solutions combining sensors, effectors, and intelligent decision-making systems to protect civilian and military installations from a variety of threats, including drone attacks.
As a part of this team, you will contribute directly to the development of autonomous systems that integrate sensors (radar, cameras, RF, and other modalities) with real-time response actuation through effectors such as kinetic and non-kinetic systems or drone swarms. You will work alongside other experts in sensing, artificial intelligence, and systems engineering to shape solutions that redefine complex area defense scenarios.
Core Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and optimize software for mission-critical autonomous systems using modern technologies and methodologies.
- Develop algorithms to process data from heterogeneous sensors for real-time state estimation and threat detection.
- Build AI-driven systems capable of assessing threats and rapidly making decisions to deploy responses to those threats.
- Develop integrations with a range of sensors, effectors, and autonomous platforms.
- Engineer scalable, reliable, and fail-safe systems capable of functioning in high-stakes environments.
- Partner with multidisciplinary teams, including robotics experts, hardware engineers, and system integrators, to deliver integrated solutions.
What We Value
- Proven experience in software development for autonomous systems, embedded systems, or robotics.
- Knowledge of AI/ML, sensor processing, or swarm behaviors is highly desirable.
- Ability to manage complexity, optimize for performance, and think critically under pressure.
- Experience deploying and maintaining robust production systems.
What We Require
- 5+ years of professional software development experience
- 2+ years of experience contributing to the system design or architecture (architecture, design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems
- 2+ years of experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team
- Strong proficiency in Rust, Python, or Java
- Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related fields
- Active US Security clearance or eligibility and willingness to obtain a US Security clearance
Salary
The estimated salary range for this position is estimated to be $145,000 - $200,000/year. Total compensation for this position may also include Restricted Stock units, sign-on bonus and other potential future incentives. Further note that total compensation for this position will be determined by each individual’s relevant qualifications, work experience, skills, and other factors. This estimate excludes the value of any potential sign-on bonus; the value of any benefits offered; and the potential future value of any long-term incentives.
Our benefits aim to promote health and wellbeing across all areas of Palantirians’ lives. We work to continuously improve our offerings and listen to our community as we design and update them. The list below details our available benefits and some of the perks that can be enjoyed as an employee of Palantir Technologies.
Benefits
• Employees (and their eligible dependents) can enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as voluntary life insurance
• Employees are automatically covered by Palantir’s basic life, AD&D and disability insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Relocation assistance
• Take what you need paid time off, not accrual based
• 2 weeks paid time off built into the end of each year (subject to team and business needs)
• 10 paid holidays throughout the calendar year
• Supportive leave of absence program including time off for military service and medical events
• Paid leave for new parents and subsidized back-up care for all parents
• Fertility and family building benefits including but not limited to adoption, surrogacy, and preservation
• Stipend to help with expenses that come with a new child
• Employees can enroll in Palantir’s 401k plan
Life at Palantir
We want every Palantirian to achieve their best outcomes, that’s why we celebrate individuals’ strengths, skills, and interests, from your first interview to your longterm growth, rather than rely on traditional career ladders. Paying attention to the needs of our community enables us to optimize our opportunities to grow and helps ensure many pathways to success at Palantir. Promoting health and well-being across all areas of Palantirians’ lives is just one of the ways we’re investing in our community. Learn more at Life at Palantir and note that our offerings may vary by region.
In keeping consistent with Palantir’s values and culture, we believe employees are “better together” and in-person work affords the opportunity for more creative outcomes. Therefore, we encourage employees to work from our offices to foster connectivity and innovation. Many teams do offer hybrid options (WFH a day or two a week), allowing our employees to strike the right trade-off for their personal productivity. Based on business need, there are a few roles that allow for “Remote” work on an exceptional basis. If you are applying for one of these roles, you must work from the state in which you are employed. If the posting is specified as Onsite, you are required to work from an office.
If you want to empower the world's most important institutions, you belong here. Palantir values excellence regardless of background. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer for all, including but not limited to Veterans and those with disabilities. Palantir is committed to making the application and hiring process accessible to everyone and will provide a reasonable accommodation for those living with a disability. If you need an accommodation for the application or hiring process, please reach out and let us know how we can help.
Please note that you will never be asked to submit a payment or share financial information to participate in our interview process. If you suspect that you've been contacted by a scammer, we recommend you cease all communication with the individual and consider reporting them to the relevant authorities, such as the US FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
If you would like to understand more about how your personal data will be processed by Palantir, please see our Privacy Policy.
If you would like to understand more about how your personal data will be processed by Palantir, please see our Privacy Policy.
Skills Required
- 5+ years of professional software development experience
- 2+ years contributing to system design or architecture
- 2+ years experience as a mentor, tech lead, or leading an engineering team
- Strong proficiency in Rust, Python, or Java
- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field
- Active US Security clearance or eligibility and willingness to obtain a US Security clearance
- Proven experience in software development for autonomous systems, embedded systems, or robotics
- Knowledge of AI/ML, sensor processing, or swarm behaviors
- Experience deploying and maintaining robust production systems
Palantir Technologies Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare benefits for employees and dependents are positioned as exceeding industry average, with feedback suggesting very low or no employee premiums and solid plan options. Mental‑health resources like virtual therapy, coaching, and wellness offerings further strengthen the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave, a new‑parent stipend, family‑care leave, and fertility/adoption support are prominently highlighted. UK materials also reference gender‑affirming healthcare and fertility support, indicating breadth in family‑oriented offerings.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — A “take‑what‑you‑need” PTO approach is complemented by a two‑week December office closure. Together these provide notable flexibility and additional downtime built into the year.
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The Company
What We Do
At Palantir, we're helping the world's most important institutions use their data to solve their most urgent problems. Palantir software helps the world's most important institutions integrate, analyze, and act on their data — unlocking answers to questions they couldn't ask before. From delivering disaster relief to building safer automobiles, we're honored to help make our partners better at their most important work. Together with our customers, we're building the future of national security, healthcare, energy, finance, manufacturing, and more.
Why Work With Us
We build the software that powers the world's most important institutions — the hospitals, militaries, intelligence agencies, and industrial operators that can't afford to fail. The consequence of our work is what makes us different.
Palantir Technologies Offices
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