Principal Guidance-Navigation-Controls Engineer

Principal Guidance-Navigation-Controls Engineer

Ventura, California, United States

What Impact You'll Have

GRVTY is seeking a Principal Autonomy / Behaviors Engineer to design, develop and field-validate the autonomous mission behaviors that govern how our autonomous undersea vehicles (AUV) perceive, reason, and act in complex maritime environments. In this role you will architect algorithms, conduct modeling and simulation, develop test methods, support technical strategy across multiple concurrent initiatives, and mentor engineers. You will join a team of dedicated engineers and scientists who are pushing the boundaries of maritime technology to deliver exceptional products and capabilities.

What You'll be Owning

• Collaborate with GNC experts, software developers, and operators to translate mission requirements into robust, testable autonomy logic
• Design and implement autonomous mission algorithms for AUVs including search patterns, obstacle avoidance, adaptive replanning, and other complex behaviors
• Define and maintain behaviors across vehicle platforms
• Develop and refine vehicle dynamics models and control architecture
• Define verification and validation test plans for GNC subsystems and behaviors
• Analyze field test data to diagnose performance anomalies and refine algorithms
• Partner with all engineering disciplines to ensure guidance algorithms are implemented efficiently
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to mid-level and junior GNC engineers

What You Must Have

• Bachelor's degree (Master's preferred) in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace / Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field
• 15+ years of professional experience developing autonomy algorithms for undersea vehicles
• Professional experience in guidance and control system design for maritime platforms
• Experience with simulation environments for autonomous systems development and testing
• Strong proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink and software languages for algorithm development
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to technical and customer audiences
• This is a full-time position with the expectation of a minimum 40-hour commitment per work week. The regular workdays are Monday – Friday around the core hours of 9:00 am to 3:00 pm with a 100% on-site requirement. Regular attendance is essential to permit the team to function effectively. The job is performed in an indoor office environment. An employee in this position frequently sits or stands in the same location with opportunity to move about;
  
  regularly thinks, concentrates, analyzes, interprets, interacts with others, and communicates orally and in writing; regularly reads, sees, hears, and speaks; regularly uses a computer; and frequently uses hands to write, type, finger, handle, or feel.

What Would be Nice to Have

• Direct experience with AUV autonomy frameworks or stacks
• Background working with operators and GNC specialists
• Familiarity with real-time embedded software environments
• Background supporting autonomous systems

Pay Range:
At GRVTY, we understand that compensation is influenced by many factors—such as geographic location, federal contract labor categories, wage rates, prior experience, skillsets, education, and certifications. We're proud to offer a work environment that empowers our team to achieve a strong work-life balance. GRVTY provides competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and meaningful opportunities for professional growth. Our benefits package is designed to support the well-being of our employees and their families, and includes coverage in areas such as healthcare, financial wellness, retirement planning, family assistance, continued education, and paid time off.

California Pay Range

$235,000 - $260,000 USD

Why Choose GRVTY

The toughest national security challenges demand vision and ingenuity, not just resources. We deliver mission and technical expertise to outpace our adversaries. We're purpose-built to tackle the most entrenched, systemic national security issues around the world.

We partner with our customers to help them overcome challenges in every corner of technology and defense—including the ones still being explored. Our…