Lead GNC Engineer

Job Title

Lead GNC Engineer

The Lead GNC Engineer drives the design, verification, validation, testing, and characterization of guidance, navigation, control (GNC) and perception systems that enable manual, semi‑autonomous, and fully autonomous rover operations. This role defines the technical direction and system architecture for GNC and perception, leads a high‑performing engineering team, and ensures the integrated solution meets demanding safety, reliability, and mission performance requirements. You will shape mission‑critical architecture for a next‑generation lunar rover in a highly collaborative, startup‑style environment, partnering closely with avionics, software, vehicle engineering, and mission operations teams.

• Lead the design, verification, validation, testing, and characterization of GNC and perception systems for manual, semi‑autonomous, and autonomous rover operations.
• Define the technical direction and system architecture for GNC and perception systems, incorporating inputs from GNC, avionics, and software stakeholders.
• Manage and mentor a team of GNC and perception engineers, fostering a high‑performance, collaborative culture.
• Collaborate with avionics engineers to select, test, characterize, and calibrate GNC and perception sensors.
• Work closely with simulation and software teams to prototype, refine, and analyze GNC algorithms in vehicle simulation and software test environments.
• Partner with the flight software team to support implementation, integration, and testing of GNC and perception flight software.
• Define, plan, and oversee testing and validation of the integrated GNC solution across simulation, lab, field, and analog test platforms.
• Coordinate GNC and perception system design, implementation, and testing with vehicle engineering, including sensor and lighting placement, as well as with avionics, software, and mission operations teams.
• Ensure GNC and perception system designs meet applicable safety, reliability, and fault tolerance requirements.
• Balance performance, risk, and embedded compute constraints when defining architectures and algorithms.
• Ensure rover GNC and perception systems support tele‑operated, semi‑autonomous, and fully autonomous vehicle operations.
• Provide technical leadership and support for GNC and perception during rover operations on the lunar surface.

• 10+ years of experience developing GNC, perception, and autonomy systems for space vehicles, extraterrestrial rovers, or autonomous terrestrial vehicles.
• Proven experience leading high‑performing engineering teams and delivering complex technical programs under aggressive timelines and constrained resources.
• Strong background across the full vehicle development lifecycle, from architecture and trade studies through embedded implementation, verification, testing, and operations.
• Deep expertise in perception and navigation systems, including sensor integration, image processing, localization, multi‑sensor odometry, terrain‑relative navigation, pose estimation, hazard detection, terrain mapping, and route planning.
• Experience designing and executing autonomy and navigation test campaigns across simulation, lab, field, and analog environments.
• Proficiency using statistical analysis methods such as Monte Carlo for validation and performance assessment.
• Hands‑on experience developing and optimizing embedded autonomy, perception, and navigation software for compute‑ and power‑constrained systems.
• Familiarity with the unique challenges of extraterrestrial rover operations, including lunar terrain, lighting conditions, regolith, thermal constraints, limited power environments, and mission assurance expectations.
• Prior experience implementing and testing GNC and perception system software on real flight hardware or embedded platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to define and manage end‑to‑end GNC architecture and design life cycles, including algorithm development and integration.

• Experience working in highly collaborative, cross‑functional engineering environments involving avionics, software, vehicle engineering, and mission operations.
• Background in…