Manager, HIL Platform Engineering

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. 

We’re searching for a Software Engineering Manager to lead our HIL Platform team. This team sits at the critical nexus of software and physical reality, and we are expanding to accelerate the commercialization of the Aurora Driver on our Class 8 truck platforms. This is a rare opportunity to lead a high-impact team building the world’s most sophisticated "flight simulator" for autonomous vehicles, directly ensuring the safety and reliability of 80,000-pound trucks before they ever hit public roads.

To attract a high-caliber leader who can treat an internal platform like a high-end product, we’ve shifted the focus from specific HIL domain expertise to strategic decision-making, project execution, and product-minded leadership. Here are the revised sections for your job description:

In this role you will

• Operationalize the Platform as a Product: Transform internal hardware and simulation tools into a reliable, "customer-centric" service that enables Autonomy engineers to ship code with confidence and speed.
• Drive Strategic Technical Trade-offs: Evaluate complex architectural proposals—such as build-vs-buy on hardware rigs or cloud vs. local simulation—balancing immediate project needs with long-term platform scalability.
• Master Project Lifecycle & Execution: Manage the end-to-end delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects, from initial requirements gathering with cross-functional stakeholders to laboratory deployment and maintenance.
• Mentor and Scale the Team: Foster a high-performance culture by coaching engineers on technical excellence and career growth, while recruiting top-tier talent to meet the evolving demands of our truck programs.
• Bridge Software and Physical Reality: Act as the primary interface between pure software teams and vehicle hardware teams, ensuring the platform accurately reflects the complexities of an autonomous truck.

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software or systems engineering experience: successfully built and shipped complex technical products or platforms.
• 7+ years of people management experience: a demonstrated ability to lead teams through high-pressure delivery cycles and organizational growth.
• Strategic Decision-Making: Proven ability to analyze technical trade-offs (e.g., performance vs. maintainability) and align engineering roadmaps with overarching business objectives.
• Strong Project Management: Expertise in managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects with a focus on predictable delivery, risk mitigation, and resource allocation.
• Technical Breadth: High proficiency in at least one systems-level language (e.g., C++ or Rust), an automation/scripting language (e.g., Python, Golang) or cloud infrastructure with the ability to lead deep-dive technical reviews across different layers of the stack.

Desirable qualifications

• Product-Minded Infrastructure: Experience managing "platform-as-a-product" teams (e.g., DevOps, Developer Tools, or Simulation) where the primary customers are other engineers.
• HIL or Robotics Exposure: Familiarity with Hardware-in-the-Loop testing, robotics middleware (ROS), or hardware-software integration.
• Safety-Critical Systems: Experience working in regulated industries such as aerospace, automotive, or medical devices where safety and reliability are paramount.
• Scaling Internal Labs: Experience managing physical assets or laboratory infrastructure at scale within a high-growth technology environment.

The base salary range for this position is $189,000 - $303,000 per year. Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

 #LI-Mid-Senior