GNC / Control Lead Engineer

GNC / Control Lead Engineer

Location:
New York City, NY (Onsite)

Employment Type:
Full-time

Compensation:
$120,000 – $185,000 annually

Overview

An advanced defense technology organization is seeking a GNC / Control Lead Engineer to design and implement guidance, navigation, and control systems for autonomous platforms.

This is a high-impact engineering role focused on building closed-loop control systems enabling autonomous tracking, interception, and navigation in dynamic real-world environments. The role spans the full lifecycle from concept → prototype → field deployment , working across software, hardware, simulation, and real-world testing.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement closed-loop control systems for autonomous platforms.
• Develop tracking, interception, and navigation behaviors.
• Integrate perception outputs into control loops.
• Work with and extend ArduPilot / PX4 flight control capabilities.
• Tune, validate, and optimize control performance in both simulation and real-world testing environments.
• Collaborate closely with perception, autonomy, hardware, and embedded systems teams.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in control systems, robotics, or autonomous systems engineering.
• Strong background in:
  • Control systems
  • Robotics
  • Guidance and navigation systems
• Experience with:
  • State estimation
  • Kalman filters
  • Sensor fusion
• Experience with UAV or autonomous vehicle control systems.
• Familiarity with:
  • MAVLink
  • Flight control stacks
• Strong programming skills in:
  • C++ (or Rust)
  • Python

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with:
  • Optical flow
  • GPS-denied navigation
  • Real-time control under latency constraints
• Experience with tracking or interception systems.
• Aerospace, robotics, or defense systems background.

Additional Requirements

• Must meet ITAR requirements (U.S. Citizen, Green Card holder, or eligible status).
• Onsite work required in NYC.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
• Vision and dental coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• High-impact role within a fast-moving engineering environment.