Sr/Principal UAS GNC Engineer

The company is a high-octane aerospace technology startup founded in 2019 and specializing in developing advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and microsensor technology for both government and civilian sectors. Currently seeking a highly skilled and experienced Sr/Principal UAS Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineer to work on the full lifecycle development of a small unmanned electric aircraft with a team of engineers and subject matter experts from the ground up.

The Company

• The company offers high-performance UAS, low-size, weight, and power (SWaP) sensor technology, and best-in-class AI video tools.
• The company, which is run by former Special Forces Operators, has both a patriotic culture and diverse team with a history of success and focus on bringing industry-leading products to the warrior community.
• Seeking a Sr/Principal UAS GNC Engineer to lead the development of a cutting-edge small unmanned electric aircraft.

The Compensation

• $160K - $220K Competitive Annual Base Salary Plus Stock Option Package and Bonus Plan Commensurate with Experience

The Location

• Fully onsite position based in the Camarillo, CA Headquarters

The Benefits

• Comprehensive Blue Shield of California Medical Coverage (2 PPO & 1 PPO/Health Savings Account Options)
• Preventative Care Services Covered at No Cost
• Blue Shield of California & Guardian Dental PPO Plan Options
• Blue Shield of California & Guardian Vision Plan Options
• Voluntary Life & AD&D Insurance
• Short & Long-Term Disability Plans
• Exclusive Employee Discount Program through BenefitHub
• Clever Rx Prescription Discount Program

The Role

• Focus on the adaptation and development of an onboard flight control system for a small UAS.
• Collaborate with cross-discipline engineers, e.g. Aerospace Engineers (AE), Mechanical Engineers (ME), Electrical Engineers (EE), and Software Engineers (SW), to understand the system-level desired functionality and translate it to software requirements.
• Work with aircraft designers to size and spatially configure control actuators and define and experimentally confirm control authority requirements.
• Architect, implement, modify, optimize and tune vehicle and component control loops and state estimation algorithms.
• Partner with the SW team to build and implement 6-DOF software in the loop simulator and with the AE team to build a 6-DOF vehicle model for simulation.
• Aide in evaluating and defining tasking/effort to fit the schedule and scope of the project in conjunction with project management.
• Develop accurate vehicle and component-level models.
• Research, evaluate, and source vehicle sensors and computational components.
• Advance GPS-denied / VIO integration into the vehicle roadmap.

The Background Profile

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant Engineering discipline; Master's Degree a plus
• Minimum of 5-10 years of GNC experience developing software for embedded systems
• Comprehensive end-to-end development of embedded systems
• Versatile hands-on experience across electrical, embedded, and software disciplines
• Proficient in common state estimation algorithms and tuning methods
• Skilled in control loop assessment and optimization techniques
• Experienced in embedded programming, specializing in C/C++ for robotics and UAVs; familiarity with Python and C# is preferred
• Knowledgeable in low-level avionics hardware fundamentals
• Adept at hardware debugging and collaborating with engineers to troubleshoot avionics issues, including interpreting wiring diagrams and using oscilloscopes/analyzers
• Strong foundation in physics-based actuator and vehicle modeling
• Familiar with Ardupilot and/or PX4 code bases and compatible hardware is preferred
• Ability to be based onsite at the headquarters in Camarillo, CA

The Ideal Background

• Innovative, hands-on, and highly practical in approach
• Multidisciplinary problem solver driven by rigorous engineering analysis
• Goal-oriented, learns from mistakes, and ensures a complete design process
• Strategic, balancing scope and effort effectively
• Highly skilled in clear communication through both discussion and documentation
• Collaborative and thrives in teamwork to develop plans and solve complex problems