Guidance Navigation and Controls Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

18h•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer to help us develop, test, and deploy autonomy solutions for next-generation ground, maritime, and aerial robotic systems. As a member of our team, you'll contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of estimation, guidance, navigation, and control algorithms that enable autonomous platforms to operate safely and effectively in challenging real-world environments. You will join a collaborative team of engineers and scientists who work together to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges. Our work spans algorithm development, simulation, integration, and field testing, providing opportunities to see your ideas transition from concept to operational capability. We are committed to technical excellence, continuous learning, and mentoring, and we strive to foster an environment where team members support one another, share knowledge, and grow professionally. Our team values initiative, collaboration, adaptability, and a willingness to tackle difficult problems together.

Requirements

Possess a BS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field.
Have 2+ years of experience developing software, algorithms, models, or analysis tools for engineering systems.
Have experience in one or more of the following areas: guidance, navigation, control, estimation, robotics, autonomy, dynamics, or related technical disciplines.
Are proficient in MATLAB, Python, C++, or similar technical computing and software development tools.
Have experience analyzing system performance through simulation, testing, and experimental data.
Demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills and can effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in both laboratory and field environments.
Maintain professionalism, composure, and sound judgment while working in dynamic, fast-paced test environments where priorities and plans may change rapidly.
Are willing and able to support laboratory, field, and flight testing activities, including occasional travel.
Hold an active Secret security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Have an MS or PhD focused on guidance, navigation, control, robotics, aerospace systems, autonomous systems, machine learning, or a related discipline.
Have experience designing, implementing, and tuning feedback control systems.
Have experience developing state estimation or sensor fusion algorithms such as Kalman filters, Extended Kalman Filters, or particle filters.
Have experience with autonomous air, maritime, ground, or space systems.
Have experience with ROS, embedded systems, real-time software, or hardware-in-the-loop simulation environments.
Have demonstrated proficiency in modern C++ software design and development practices.
Have participated in field experiments, flight tests, maritime tests, or operational demonstrations.
Have authored technical publications, contributed to open-source projects, or led significant technical efforts.
Can independently drive technical tasks from concept through implementation, testing, and deployment.

Responsibilities

Designing, developing, analyzing, and testing estimation, guidance, navigation, and control algorithms for autonomous vehicles and robotic systems.
Develop and implement control, state estimation, sensor fusion, and trajectory planning algorithms for autonomous platforms.
Model, simulate, and evaluate system performance using tools such as MATLAB, Python, and C++ in both simulation and real-world testing environments.
Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams of software engineers, roboticists, and domain experts to integrate autonomy capabilities onto operational systems.
Support laboratory, flight, maritime, and field testing activities, analyze test results, and improve system performance, robustness, and reliability.
Contribute to technical reports, presentations, and the transition of research concepts into deployed capabilities.