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Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Engineer - Tactical Reconnaissance & Strike

Costa Mesa, California, United States

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril’s Tactical Recon & Strike (TRS) is a division with two missions: 1) build highly capable autonomous drones, and 2) build solid rocket motors at scale. We transform products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt, and Altius from early concepts into fully operational capabilities by partnering closely with specialist engineering, operations, and production teams. Through our Anduril Rocket Motor Systems (RMS) team, we design and manufacture solid rocket motors using advanced materials, proprietary formulations, and high-volume production methods—delivering safe, reliable propulsion systems that support a wide range of mission requirements. TRS hires software engineers & hardware engineers, who are excited to build across a diverse and powerful portfolio—from autonomous aerial systems to high-performance solid rocket motors. Our teams contribute to highly capable autonomous robotics systems and propulsion products that operate reliably in the most demanding mission environment.

The guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) team within TRS performs implementation, analysis, test, and validation for GNC software solutions supporting our autonomous drone fleet. Applications include attitude and position control, waypoint and terminal guidance engagements, and navigating contested environments including communication and GPS denied environments.

ABOUT THE JOB


This role will focus on guidance related projects and involve usage and direct implementation Guidance Navigation and Control work (GNC) and state-of-the-art Computer Vision (CV). You will be involved at earliest stage product development, and help shape the capabilities set of the platform to achieve consistent mission success on a hyper-scalable platform developed on an aggressive timeline.

We are a fast-growing company at the early stages of our growth, and you will be expected to own important deliverables with tight deadlines during your time on the team, which will have a significant impact on the company’s trajectory. Anduril fosters a diverse, collaborative, culture with plenty of opportunities for ownership and professional growth.


This position will be on-site at our Costa Mesa, CA location. (relocation benefits provided.)

 

WHAT YOU’LL DO

  • Develop guidance algorithms (terminal and midcourse) and state estimators for group 1-3 UAV platforms
  • Work closely with the flight software and computer vision team to define requirements, develop GNC software and validate functionality in simulation on aggressive timelines
  • Review test data captured from the flight control system, subsystems, and other test instrumentation to verify vehicle performance, evaluate GNC algorithm/controller behavior, or debug incidents during testing or from fielded assets
  • Develop models required to support functional evaluation of GNC software

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field with a focus on dynamic systems and control
  • 3+ years professional experience in a GNC role, preferably focusing on missile or weapons systems
  • Experience with tactical guidance algorithms and target state estimation development
  • Experience with state estimation and filtering - Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, complementary filters, etc.
  • Experience in modeling and simulation of linear and nonlinear dynamic systems and model linearization
  • Experience coding in Matlab and Simulink
  • C/C++ Proficiency
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance


PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Master’s Degree or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field with a focus on dynamic systems and control
  • 5+ years professional experience in a GNC role, preferably focusing on missile or weapons systems
  • Experience with flight test and debugging GNC on UAV platforms
  • Experience with GNC design and analysis for fixed wing, rotary wing aircraft and/or tactical missile systems
  • Experience with seeker integration
  • Experience in one or more of the following: VIO, TERCOM, gimbal mount models, detection and tracking, LWIR/EO sensors, RADAR, target motion models
  • Experience with Simulink Embedded Coder

US Salary Range

$166,000 - $220,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: 

Healthcare Benefits 

  • US Roles: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you. 
  • UK & AUS Roles: We cover full cost of medical insurance premiums for you and your dependents. 
  • IE Roles: We offer an annual contribution toward your private health insurance for you and your dependents. 

Additional Benefits 

  • Income Protection: Anduril covers life and disability insurance for all employees. 
  • Generous time off: Highly competitive PTO plans with a holiday hiatus in December. Caregiver & Wellness Leave is available to care for family members, bond with a new baby, or address your own medical needs. 
  • Family Planning & Parenting Support: Coverage for fertility treatments (e.g., IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carriers, along with resources to support you and your partner from planning to parenting. 
  • Mental Health Resources: Access free mental health resources 24/7, including therapy and life coaching. Additional work-life services, such as legal and financial support, are also available. 
  • Professional Development: Annual reimbursement for professional development 
  • Commuter Benefits: Company-funded commuter benefits based on your region. 
  • Relocation Assistance: Available depending on role eligibility. 

Retirement Savings Plan 

  • US Roles: Traditional 401(k), Roth, and after-tax (mega backdoor Roth) options. 
  • UK & IE Roles: Pension plan with employer match. 
  • AUS Roles: Superannuation plan. 

The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. 

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/. 

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