Position

Manager – Autonomy, Navigation, Communications & Shore Control

Programme

Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV)

Reports to

Program Manager – ASV

Location

ARI, Okhla, New Delhi, with extended periods at shipyard and coastal trial sites in India

Employment type

Full-time, permanent

Experience

10–15 years, including at least 5 years hands-on with autonomous or unmanned systems

Travel

Frequent domestic travel to the build yard and trial sites; occasional travel to suppliers

Role purpose The Manager – Autonomy, Navigation, Communications & Shore Control is responsible for the complete lifecycle of autonomy suite for the ASV, right from Concept Design and also responsible for finalization of Autonomy requirement for the ASV, selection of sensor suite, selection of OEMs/ suppliers, plan for installation, integration and trials. He/ she will be responsible for everything that makes the vessel autonomous: the navigation and perception sensors, the autonomy computer and software, the communication links, the shore control station and the safe conduct of autonomous trials. The role holder is the single technical authority for autonomy on the programme, works closely with ARI’s team, and holds technology partners to account where they supply parts of the autonomy solution.

Key responsibilities

- Define the autonomy, navigation, communications and shore-control architecture, including manual, remote and autonomous modes and the handover between them.
- Select and integrate navigation and perception sensors.
- Own the autonomy software: path planning, collision avoidance, mission management and fail-safe behaviour. Where a partner supplies it,



own the partner technically.
- Design the communications architecture across line-of-sight radio, cellular and satellite links, including loss-of-link behaviour.
- Specify and deliver the shore control station for monitoring, mission planning, video and remote takeover.
- Agree command, feedback and failsafe interfaces for propulsion, steering and onboard systems with the Manager – Electrical, Controls & Systems Integration.
- Agree sensor and antenna placement, power and cooling with the Manager – Platform Integration.
- Test in simulation and hardware-in-the-loop, then plan and lead autonomy trials from harbour to coastal, including trial safety arrangements and emergency stop.

Qualifications and experience

Essential

- Education: B.E. / B.Tech / M.Tech in Mechatronics, Electronics, Electrical, Computer Science, Robotics, Control or Aerospace Engineering.
- Experience: 10–15 years in total, including at least 5 years hands-on with autonomous or unmanned systems (USV, UUV, UAV, UGV, autonomous vehicles or robotics), or with defence command-and-control and sensor systems.
- Ownership: Has personally owned at least one autonomy or navigation system from design through to field trials.
- Technical knowledge: Working knowledge of sensor fusion, GNSS/INS, radar and AIS,



real-time embedded Linux or ROS/ROS 2, radio and network links, and CAN, Ethernet and NMEA 2000 interfaces.
- Trials: Has planned and taken part in field trials of autonomous or unmanned systems, including safety arrangements.

Desirable

- Experience with marine or maritime unmanned systems, and working knowledge of COLREGs.
- Experience with simulation and hardware-in-the-loop test environments.
- Exposure to functional safety, cyber security or classification society rules for autonomous vessels.
- Experience of managing technology partners or subcontractors on a development programme.
- Experience on defence or government development programmes.

Skills and personal attributes

- Systems thinker who can see the whole vessel, not only the autonomy software.
- Hands-on and comfortable working at the build yard, on the quayside and at sea.
- Takes safety seriously and makes sound go/no-go decisions under time pressure.
- Transparent written and spoken communication with engineers, partners, management and customers.
- Plans and delivers to milestones in a fast-moving programme.

Typical candidate backgrounds

Unmanned-systems and drone companies; defence electronics and C4I organisations; autonomous-vehicle and robotics firms. Former service officers with relevant unmanned-systems or sensor-integration experience are also welcome to apply.

Working conditions

- Based in New Delhi, with frequent travel and extended stays at the build yard and coastal trial sites.
- Sea trials involve work on small craft, outdoors and sometimes outside normal working hours.

📌 Manager – Autonomy, Navigation (New Delhi)
🏢 Zen Technologies
📍 New Delhi