Guidance, Navigation, And Control Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a Flight Sciences Engineer with a strong foundation in aerodynamics, flight dynamics, and control theory, and who has familiarity with autopilot systems and simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink. In this role, you will support the design and analysis of upgrades to UAS, assist in the development and validation of autonomous flight capabilities, and help improve our aircraft and simulation tool set. This role requires strong technical fundamentals, a willingness to learn, and a collaborative mindset.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and analysis of enhancements for Group 2 and Group 3 UAS and their derivatives, contributing to optimized aerodynamics, flight performance, and safety, under the guidance of senior engineers.
• Assist in developing and refining flight control, guidance, and navigation algorithms for UAS, including those supporting autonomous flight and new flight modes.
• Contribute to building, validating, and maintaining mathematical models, simulations, and analyses tools used in standalone, Software-In-The-Loop (SIL), and Hardware-In-The-Loop (HIL) simulations.
• Help investigate and mitigate mishaps and failure modes through telemetry analysis, support root cause investigation, and Monte Carlo simulations.
• Support updates and customization of autopilot and simulation software to enable product enhancements and maintain alignment with control system design best practices.
• Collaborate closely with our autopilot supplier to address system integration challenges, improve performance, and design for product effectiveness.
• Stay informed about relevant regulatory trends in unmanned airspace operations and apply that knowledge, with mentoring, to design and analysis tasks.
• Support flight test planning, execution, and data analysis for hardware, software, and systems integration activities.
• Work with engineering, operations, and project management to deliver solutions that meet system performance goals, contributing to a safety-focused, collaborative, and innovative engineering culture.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace / Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, with an emphasis on aerodynamics, flight dynamics, and control systems.
• Bachelor’s degree with 3-5 years of relevant industry experience, or Master’s degree with 2+ years of experience preferred.
• Understanding of controls, navigation, and guidance methods as applied to air vehicle flight dynamics.
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for developing and validating models for standalone, SIL, and HIL simulations.
• Exposure to digital-discrete time control laws for air vehicles.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills, with a track record of developing effective solutions.
• Foundational knowledge of air vehicle performance and design trade-offs, including vehicle layout, propulsion requirements, and stability and control analyses.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language such as C++, with familiarity in implementing and integrating control systems in software environments.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as the ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary engineering team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with U.S. airspace regulations and operational environments for unmanned systems, including FAA Part 107 guidelines.
• Knowledge of GPS/INS systems and autopilot requirements and their integration into complete air vehicle systems.
• Experience with numerical programming, Python, Matlab/Simulink, C#, and GIT version control systems.
• Background in unmanned aircraft or drone operations, with consideration given to candidates holding a pilot’s license or drone operator’s license.
• Understanding of unmanned aircraft data links and their operational considerations.