GNC Engineer

Location: Arlington, Virginia

Department: Engineering

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.