Senior Flight Autonomy Engineer

We are looking for a Senior Flight Autonomy Engineer with deep expertise in drone systems, control loops, and autonomous navigation. This engineer will focus on designing, implementing, and optimizing the full flight control stack — from low-level stabilization and embedded software on custom flight controllers, to high-level autonomy modules including sensor fusion, trajectory planning, and mission execution. The role involves hands-on development, prototyping, and field testing of advanced aerial platforms, working closely with cross-functional teams to bring cutting-edge aerial autonomy from concept to real-world deployment.

?The ideal candidate has:

• 5+ years in robotics, aerospace, or flight control systems (industry or research).
• Experience with drone hardware, flight controllers, and simulation environments.
• Experience in designing, building, and flying custom drones or robotic platforms.
• Hands-on experience with autonomous navigation, multi DOF navigation, agile multirotor flight, or drone racing (AlphaPilot-level competition or similar is highly desirable).
• Prior contributions to novel research platforms or control frameworks (e.g., omni-multirotors, MAVs, VTOL hybrids).
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, prototyping-heavy environment.
• Portfolio of real-world deployments, publications, or demonstrable robotics projects.
• MS or PhD in Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or related field.

Technical skills we're looking for:

• ?C++, Python; real-time software architecture, embedded systems.
• Model Predictive Control (MPC), PID tuning, underactuated dynamics, state feedback controllers.
• EKF, sensor fusion (IMU, GPS, camera), Visual-Inertial Odometry.
• ROS, Gazebo, Isaac SIM, PX4, MAVSDK, or custom simulators.
• Visual SLAM, onboard perception, trajectory optimization, obstacle avoidance.
• Experience with IMUs, barometers, flight electronics, PCB-level integration.
• Comfort with field testing, telemetry analysis, and real-time system introspection.

What you'll do:

• Design, implement, and optimize a full flight control stack—from low-level systems that stabilize and steer the drone, to high-level software that enables autonomous navigation and mission execution.
• Architect full autonomy stacks, integrating sensor fusion, control loops, and planning modules.
• Lead development of state estimation, control, and trajectory planning pipelines.
• Own embedded software development on custom flight controllers and real-time operating systems.
• Prototype, field-test, and iterate on novel aerial vehicle designs.
• Collaborate closely with hardware, perception, and autonomy teams to bring ideas from whiteboard to flight test.
• Contribute to internal tooling for simulation, real-time data logging, and offboard analysis.
• Document technical designs and mentor junior engineers or interns as needed.