Navigation Systems Product Owner

SBQuantum•Sherbrooke, QC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

SBQuantum builds diamond-based vectorial quantum magnetometers that, combined with AI-driven interpretation, deliver precision magnetic intelligence where GPS, radar, and sonar fail — enabling magnetic navigation (MagNav), anomaly detection, and mapping for defense, aerospace, autonomous systems, and space. We’re a 28-person team of physicists, engineers, and data scientists, with deep experience building and scaling products and companies and the teams behind them, recently funded and scaling. We’ve moved past the lab: sensors are sold and deployed with government customers, paid pilots are underway with defense and aerospace partners, and our sensing hardware is already orbiting the Earth in LEO. You will be our first dedicated navigation-systems hire — the architect who turns our quantum magnetometer into a navigation system. You’ll own the product design and roadmaps, get it integrated into drones, aircraft, and autonomous platforms. You report to the CTO, work shoulder-to-shoulder with our engineering and product development teams, our Director of Business Development, and our Joint-Development-Partners, and grow into the Product lead of the navigation team you’ll help build.

Requirements

Degree in aerospace, electrical, robotics, physics, or a related engineering field (MS/PhD a plus).
~8+ years designing navigation systems, including hands-on INS/IMU integration and sensor fusion (Kalman/EKF/UKF/particle filtering) for airborne, autonomous, or precision-guided platforms.
You have personally owned at least one navigation system from architecture through integration to field or flight test on real hardware — not only simulation or research.
Hands-on with at least one of: MagNav / magnetic-anomaly navigation, aeromagnetic compensation, or GPS-denied / alternative-PNT navigation.
Comfortable close to hardware, firmware, and real-time/embedded constraints, and fluent working across the guidance / autopilot / mission-computer interface.
Practitioner of modern systems engineering and architecture techniques (MBSE/SysML).
Strong proficiency in the tools of the trade — MATLAB/Simulink, Python, and C/C++.
A self-directed first-mover who can define the reference design as the only navigation architect in the room, not inherit one.
Eligible to work under the applicable export-control regime (Canadian Controlled Goods Program and/or US ITAR/EAR) for defense navigation technical data.

Nice To Haves

Direct MagNav / magnetic-anomaly-navigation experience and work with geomagnetic or crustal anomaly maps (WMM/EMM).
Magnetometry, quantum sensing, OPM, or NV-diamond exposure.
Drone autopilot ecosystems (PX4/ArduPilot) or defense GNC / missile navigation.
Experience with specific MBSE/SysML tools (e.g., Capella, Cameo, or similar) and the ability to tailor their use to a dynamic startup environment.
Flight-test or field-test campaign experience.
Active or prior security clearance (US or Canadian), or eligibility.
Startup or first-technical-hire experience; patents or publications in navigation or magnetics.

Responsibilities

Architect the end-to-end MagNav solution — define the product roadmap, building off the POC system, to version alpha and beyond, tailored to customer profiles.
Set the technical requirements and roadmap — translate customer platform constraints (SWaP, dynamics, environment, cost) into our product roadmap, partnering with engineering and BD.
Validate the roadmap with end users — setup user focus groups and keep product features closely aligned with the mission requirements.
Drive integration on real platforms — define the hardware/firmware/software interfaces, work into drone-OEM and INS-maker guidance systems, and lead bench and flight-test campaigns.
Be our product voice to customers — engage chief engineers credibly and help scope the joint development agreements and funded evaluations that carry us into their programs.
Lay the foundation for the team — establish the design practices, tooling, and documentation the navigation group will scale on, and shape its first hires.