# Senior Engineering Manager, Solutions Engineering

**Company:** [NODA AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/noda-ai)
**Location:** Austin, TX
**Role:** Engineering Management
**Experience:** 6+ years
**Skills:** Python, C++, Rust, Integration Architecture, Customer-Facing Engineering, Forward-Deployed Engineering, Conops, Deployment Design, Performance Management, Hiring
**Posted:** 2026-06-22

> Lead and grow a team of Solution Engineers and Architects delivering autonomous systems platforms to defense customers. Own hiring, delivery quality, and technical standards for customer deployments.

## Job Description

## Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and performance-manage Solution Engineers and Architects across levels; own hiring, promotions, and the calibrated hiring bar.
- Own engagement staffing and delivery quality across active customer programs.
- Lead the Solutions Engineering team through the full deployment lifecycle: ConOps and deployment design → field execution → customer handoff → After Action Review (AAR).
- Maintain exceptional technical standards on all customer-facing deliverables: deployment runbooks, ConOps documentation, and post-engagement debriefs.
- Partner with Product Management, Mission Leads, Field Operations, Business Dev, and engineering counterparts on cross-functional delivery.
- Funnel customer signal back to Product Management and Core Engineering with prioritized specificity.

## Required Qualifications
- 6+ years of engineering experience, including 3+ years directly managing engineers.
- Track record leading customer-facing or forward-deployed engineering teams in defense, autonomy, or comparable high-stakes B2B environments.
- Strong technical credibility, can read Python, C++, or Rust and evaluate integration architecture decisions.
- Excellent written communication.
- U.S. citizenship with the ability to obtain a security clearance.

## Preferred Qualifications
- Background at leading defense tech companies or in the federal/defense arm of major tech companies.
- Direct experience with autonomous vehicles or unmanned systems (UAS, UGV, USV, UUV).
- Prior DoD, classified, ITAR, or CMMC-scoped delivery experience.
- Has performance-managed senior engineers, including at least one cleanly handled managed-out.
- Active security clearance.

## Skills & Attributes
- People manager, not a senior IC with reports: your leverage is through the people you hire, develop, and hold to a bar.
- Calibrated and in-context: feedback is specific, timely, and grounded in observed behavior, not annual cycles or vague impressions.
- Bar-raiser in hiring: willing to walk away from a fast hire; the team’s long-term quality matters more than short-term headcount.
- Composed under customer pressure: stays technical, stays calm, and stays in control of the narrative when an engagement gets hard.
- Comfortable saying no: pushes back on BD, Product, and customers when commitments are at risk — and does it in a way that preserves the relationship.

## What We Offer
- Hybrid work environment
- Competitive compensation
- Flexible PTO + federal holidays
- 401(k)
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
- Free One Medical membership

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