Senior GNC Engineer

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Tactical Recon & Strike team at Anduril develops aerial small drones (Group 1-3) and all equipment to test, deploy and operate. The team is responsible for taking products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt and Altius from concepts to operational systems. We work in close coordination with specialist teams to solve some of the hardest problems facing our customers. We are looking for software engineers, hardware engineers, roboticists, and front-end mobile developers who are excited about creating a powerful robotics platform that can be tasked and viewed in real-time through a variety of interfaces.
 
Within TRS, our GNC team is at the forefront of tackling the most challenging navigation problems, specializing in the ground-up development of resilient GPS-denied navigation solutions that empower our autonomous platforms to operate reliably in the most demanding, contested environments. We are a vertically integrated team, taking concepts from ideation to software loaded on a vehicle and into flight testing in the same week, sometimes even the same day.

ABOUT THE JOB

This is a senior role for an Algorithm Developer (Localization/GNC) who thrives on building cutting-edge technology from scratch and seeing their creations immediately deployed in the field. You will be a central architect in shaping Anduril's technical moat in GPS-denied navigation, driving the development of core vision-based navigation (VBN) and advanced sensor fusion algorithms. While core techniques like VBN and Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) exist, your role will involve pioneering novel approaches and advanced fusion methodologies that push their performance boundaries.
You will apply algorithmic creativity to explore and develop a diverse suite of advanced navigation solutions, including:

• Robust vision-based navigation
• Advanced map matching algorithms
• Terrain contour matching (TERCOM)
• Celestial navigation
• High-fidelity state estimation using various Kalman filter types (Error-State, Invariant Filters)
• Fusion of diverse sensor modalities (IMU, EO/IR, Baro, ToF, Radar Altimeter, Star Trackers)

You'll contribute directly to building capabilities that include collaborative navigation, precision landing on moving or maritime vessels, and developing a common, resilient navigation stack for platforms ranging from submarines and helicopters to boats and trucks. Join a close, collaborative team where your insights will directly translate into software loaded on vehicles, with rapid flight testing opportunities across diverse, exciting test sites – from captive flights on various vehicles to remote, cool locations. If you're passionate about making an immediate, tangible impact on national security by developing the most advanced navigation solutions for contested environments, this is your opportunity.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Design, implement, and rigorously validate advanced GPS-denied navigation algorithms, including Vision-Based Navigation (VBN), advanced Map Matching, and high-fidelity sensor fusion for state estimation.
• Drive ground-up algorithm development from theoretical concepts through high-fidelity simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, and rapid flight validation on multiple physical hardware platforms.
• Collaborate intimately with Computer Vision, Flight Software, and Simulation teams to define requirements, integrate solutions, and push the boundaries of autonomous navigation in contested environments.
• Analyze extensive flight test data from diverse platforms (e.g., Altius, Ghost, manned aircraft) collected across varied, challenging environments to identify performance gaps, refine algorithms, and debug complex incidents.
• Contribute strategically to the growth of Anduril's technical moat in navigation, including areas like collaborative navigation and precise terminal guidance for challenging operational scenarios.
• Mentor junior engineers and champion best practices in algorithm design, validation, and continuous integration within a fast-paced, high-impact environment.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical field with a strong focus on dynamic systems, estimation, or control.
• 8+ years of professional experience in GNC, localization, or advanced state estimation roles, preferably in demanding real-world applications (e.g., defense, aerospace, robotics).
• Deep expertise in state estimation and sensor fusion, particularly with various Kalman filter types (e.g., EKF, ES-EKF, UKF, Invariant Filters) and their practical implementation.
• Proficiency in C++ (preferred) and/or Python for algorithm development and real-time embedded systems implementation.
• Extensive experience with vision-based navigation (VBN) techniques (e.g., VIO, VSLAM, feature tracking, optical flow) or robust map matching/geo-registration algorithms.
• Proven ability to develop, test, and debug algorithms in real-time embedded environments on physical hardware.
• Experience with modeling and simulation of dynamic systems and sensor phenomenology.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s Degree or PhD in a relevant technical field.
• Experience with terrain contour matching (TERCOM) or other non-GPS absolute localization methods utilizing diverse sensor inputs (e.g., LRF, Radar Altimeters, Star Trackers/Celestial Navigation).
• Familiarity with diverse sensor modalities for navigation (e.g., IMU, Baro, LRF, Radar Altimeters, EO/IR) and their specific noise characteristics and modeling.
• Experience with distributed or collaborative navigation systems, leveraging inter-platform measurements.
• Track record of successfully bringing complex algorithms from theoretical concepts through to deployed products on physical hardware.
• Proficiency with modern software development practices (e.g., CI/CD, Git, automated testing frameworks).
• Demonstrated ability to "wear many hats" and thrive in a fast-paced, high-impact, and highly collaborative startup environment.