Sr/Principal UAS GNC Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

The company is a fast-moving aerospace startup launched in 2019, focused on building cutting-edge unmanned aerial platforms and miniaturized sensor technologies for defense and commercial use. Currently seeking a highly skilled and experienced Sr/Principal UAS GNC Engineer to lead full lifecycle development of a small unmanned electric aircraft with a multidisciplinary team from concept through delivery.

The Company

• Founded by individuals with deep operational field experience, this agile engineering organization designs and builds advanced unmanned systems and next-gen sensor platforms for mission-critical applications.
• The team combines technical depth with a strong sense of mission, delivering practical solutions for users working in complex, real-world environments.
• Seeking a Sr/Principal UAS GNC Engineer to drive flight control system development and integration on cutting-edge small unmanned aircraft.

The Compensation

• $150K - $200K Competitive Annual Base Salary Plus Stock Option Package and Bonus Plan Commensurate with Experience

The Location

• Fully onsite role based in the Paradise Valley, AZ area

• The Benefits
• Comprehensive Medical Coverage (2 PPO & 1 PPO/Health Savings Account Options)
• Preventative Care Services Covered at No Cost
• Dental PPO Plan Options
• Vision Plan Options
• Voluntary Life & AD&D Insurance
• Short & Long-Term Disability Plans
• Exclusive Employee Discount Program through BenefitHub
• Clever Rx Prescription Discount Program

The Role

• Lead adaptation and development of onboard flight control systems for small unmanned aerial vehicles.
• Collaborate with aerospace, mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to translate system-level functionality into software requirements.
• Partner with aircraft designers to size and spatially configure control actuators, defining and experimentally validating control authority requirements.
• Architect, implement, optimize, and tune vehicle and component control loops and state estimation algorithms.
• Work with software and aerospace teams to build and run 6-DOF simulation models and software-in-the-loop testing environments.
• Help scope and schedule project tasks alongside management.
• Develop accurate vehicle and component-level physics models.
• Research, evaluate, and source sensors and computational hardware components.
• Advance GPS-denied and visual-inertial odometry (VIO) integration within vehicle navigation systems.

The Background Profile

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant Engineering discipline; Master’s Degree a plus
• 5-10+ years of GNC experience developing embedded systems software
• Comprehensive end-to-end embedded systems development expertise
• Hands-on experience across electrical, embedded software, and avionics disciplines
• Proficient in state estimation algorithms, control loop design, and tuning
• Skilled in embedded programming, particularly C/C++, with familiarity in Python and C# preferred
• Strong knowledge of avionics hardware and debugging tools, including wiring diagrams and oscilloscopes
• Experience with physics-based actuator and vehicle modeling
• Familiarity with Ardupilot, PX4 codebases, and compatible hardware preferred
• Ability to work onsite full-time at the Paradise Valley, AZ facility

The Ideal Background

• Innovative, hands-on, and highly practical in approach
• Multidisciplinary problem solver driven by rigorous engineering analysis
• Goal-oriented, learns from mistakes, and ensures a complete design process
• Strategic, balancing scope and effort effectively
• Highly skilled in clear communication through both discussion and documentation
• Collaborative and thrives in teamwork to develop plans and solve complex problems