GNC Engineer

Auterion•Arlington, VA

22h

About The Position

As a GNC Engineer, you will be responsible for developing and sustaining the guidance, navigation, and control software that powers Auterion’s Skynode platform, built on PX4.Your primary focus will be enabling strike drone capabilities, including integration of Auterion’s software stack onto partner hardware and ensuring reliable performance in operational environments.You will work closely with product and field teams to improve system performance, support deployments, and rapidly troubleshoot issues observed during testing and real-world operations. About Auterion We are building the leading software platform for AI-powered autonomous systems for enterprise and government customers. Our team is supporting the most important missions and solving the most challenging problems. At Auterion, we bring together the sharpest minds who love to solve the hardest problems. Join a vibrant team built on innovation, openness, and excellence, where you’ll be empowered to develop ideas, collaborate across all levels, and make an impact that matters.

Requirements

Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
Strong grasp of flight dynamics and fundamentals of aerodynamics
Proficient in C/C++ (particularly on Linux based systems and memory-constrained embedded processors) and Python
Working knowledge of PX4 or comparable autopilot technology
Experience programming robotic applications in ROS/ROS2
Understanding of Kalman filtering and other state estimation algorithms
Strong written and verbal communication skills to keep a global team fully informed
US citizenship & eligibility to obtain secret clearance required.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on drone experience, including piloting, is a plus

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) capabilities within PX4 and AuterionSDK, including new features, performance improvements, and automated testing
Own and evolve the US guidance controller for strike applications, ensuring robustness and mission effectiveness
Define, analyze, and review software requirements to meet customer needs, system performance targets, and quality standards
Design and implement flight- and mission-critical onboard software for unmanned systems
Diagnose and resolve GNC-related issues from field operations through flight log analysis, providing rapid initial assessment and driving root-cause resolution
Work closely with product, integration, and flight operations teams to support deployments and continuously improve system performance
Travel to customer sites (typically 1–2 weeks at a time) to support platform integration, testing, and advanced GNC tuning