GNC Engineer

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.

Responsibilities and Duties:

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

Qualifications and Skills:

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

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

US citizenship & eligibility to obtain secret clearance required.

Base Salary Range: $140,000 - $170,000

Benefits:

Flexible working hours

Stock Options

Unlimited PTO

Health Insurance (includes dental & vision)

Medical flex spending

Life Insurance

Retirement Plan - 401k with company match

Enhanced maternity & paternity leave

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.