Engineer - Navigation (m/f/d)

Halian; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 240,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

Halian in Abu Dhabi seeks a Navigation Engineer to design, implement, and optimize autonomous navigation planning and control for unmanned ground vehicles across off‑road, urban, and highway scenarios.

You will model vehicle dynamics, apply learning‑based control techniques, and validate solutions in real‑world settings using ROS/ROS2, Nav2, and C++ implementations.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Robotics, Control Engineering, Electrical Engineering, CS, Applied Mathematics or related field.
• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of motion planning, vehicle control and autonomous navigation systems.
• Expertise in classical and modern control methods, design, analysis and optimization.
• Experience with mathematical modeling and system identification techniques.
• Proficiency in C++ programming.
• Hands‑on experience with ROS/ROS2 and navigation frameworks such as Nav2.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, troubleshooting, and debugging skills.
• Excellent communication and technical writing in multidisciplinary settings.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize navigation, planning, and control algorithms for autonomous ground vehicles.
• Develop accurate mathematical models of vehicle dynamics for simulation and real‑time implementation.
• Implement adaptive, robust, and predictive control methods for dynamic environments.
• Research and integrate learning‑based approaches such as neural networks for system identification and RL.
• Integrate navigation with perception, localization, and vehicle software architectures.
• Conduct simulation, field tests, and performance validation of navigation and control systems.
• Analyze results to improve accuracy, robustness, safety, and efficiency.
• Create and maintain technical documentation and test reports.

Skills

Motion planning

Autonomous navigation

Vehicle control

C++ programming

ROS/ROS2

Nav2

Problem solving

Technical writing

Education

Master's or PhD in Robotics/Control Engineering or related

Tools

ROS/ROS2

Nav2

CasADi

Job description

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Navigation Engineer to contribute to the development of advanced autonomous navigation capabilities for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). This role focuses on designing, implementing, and optimizing planning and control systems for autonomous operation across diverse environments, including off‑road terrain, urban settings, and highway scenarios.

The ideal candidate possesses strong expertise in control theory, motion planning, mathematical modeling, system identification, and optimization, combined with hands‑on experience developing and validating autonomous navigation solutions in real‑world applications. Experience with learning‑based control techniques and intelligent decision‑making frameworks is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize navigation, planning, and control algorithms for high-performance autonomous ground vehicles.
• Develop accurate mathematical models of vehicle dynamics for simulation, analysis, and real‑time implementation.
• Implement advanced control strategies, including adaptive, robust, and predictive control methods, to ensure reliable operation in dynamic and uncertain environments.
• Research, evaluate, and integrate learning‑based approaches such as neural network‑based system identification and reinforcement learning techniques.
• Integrate navigation solutions with perception, localization, and vehicle software architectures to achieve seamless autonomous operation.
• Conduct simulation, field testing, and performance validation of navigation and control systems.
• Analyze experimental results and system performance to continuously improve accuracy, robustness, safety, and efficiency.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including system designs, algorithms, performance analyses, and test reports.

Required Qualifications

• Master's or PhD degree in Robotics, Control Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related discipline.
• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of motion planning, vehicle control, and autonomous navigation systems.
• Expertise in classical and modern control methods, including control system design, analysis, and optimization.
• Experience with mathematical modeling and system identification techniques.
• Strong programming skills in C++.
• Hands‑on experience with ROS/ROS2 and navigation frameworks such as Nav2.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, troubleshooting, and debugging capabilities.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills, with the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary engineering environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with optimization and control frameworks such as CasADi, ACADOS, or similar tools.
• Knowledge of learning‑based control methodologies and neural network‑based system identification.
• Experience applying reinforcement learning techniques to autonomous navigation and decision‑making problems.
• Familiarity with simulation environments and autonomous systems validation workflows.