Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Engineer - Interceptor C-UAS (m/f/d)

Quantum Systems; München; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Quantum Systems Munich is seeking a highly capable robotics engineer to develop and deploy autonomy functions for our interceptor platform, focusing on Guidance, Navigation, and Control. You’ll work from algorithm development to field debugging, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable autonomous capabilities in demanding environments.

The role emphasizes hands-on implementation in C++ or Rust, ROS 2, and flight-control ecosystems like PX4/MAVLink, with opportunities to

Qualifications

• Degree in robotics, aerospace, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, computer vision, or a comparable technical field.
• Several years of hands-on experience in the field, including student clubs or internships.
• Strong fundamentals in guidance, control, vehicle kinematics and dynamics, state estimation, optimization, and dynamical systems, with deep expertise in at least one area.
• Strong implementation skills in C++ or Rust and experience with ROS 2.
• Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, MAVLink, or similar flight-control ecosystems.
• Experience with system identification, flight-dynamics modeling, target tracking, or GNSS-denied navigation.
• Experience with simulation, SITL/HITL, flight-log analysis, structured flight testing, or multi-vehicle autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership in Guidance, Navigation, or Control within the interceptor platform.
• Integrate algorithms with perception, flight-control, simulation, and operator systems via ROS 2, MAVLink, and related interfaces.
• Validate performance through simulation, recorded-data replay, SITL/HITL, and flight testing.
• Analyze real logs, reproduce failures, isolate root causes, and improve the system for field deployment.

Skills

C++

Rust

ROS 2

Flight control

State estimation

Trajectory optimization

Multi-vehicle autonomy

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

ROS 2

MAVLink

PX4

ArduPilot

SITL/HITL

Job description

About The Role

You will be responsible for developing and deploying key autonomy functions within our interceptor platform, focusing on Guidance, Navigation & Target Tracking, or Control. From algorithm development and system integration to flight testing and field debugging, you will help deliver reliable autonomous capabilities in demanding operational environments.

What is your Day to Day Mission:

• Depending on your background and expertise, your primary focus will be in Guidance, Navigation, or Control. You will take ownership of one of these areas while working closely with engineers across the broader GNC stack to deliver a reliable autonomous interceptor system.
  
  
  
  • Guidance: Develop and deploy guidance algorithms that convert mission objectives and estimated vehicle and target states/predictions into feasible control commands. Develop predictive approaches that account for target motion and maneuvers.
  
  
  • Navigation & Target Tracking: Develop and integrate state-estimation, sensor-fusion, and target-approaches that provide reliable states and short-horizon predictions, including sensor fusion and uncertainty modeling.
  
  
  • Control: Develop and tune flight-control algorithms that translate guidance commands into stable, responsive, and feasible aircraft behavior across the operating envelope.
  
  
  
  


• Across all three focus areas, you will:
  
  
  
  • Integration: Integrate algorithms with perception, flight-control, simulation, and operator systems through ROS 2, MAVLink, and related interfaces.
  
  
  • Benchmarking and Validation: Validate performance through simulation, recorded-data replay, SITL/HITL, and flight testing.
  
  
  • Field Debugging: Analyze real logs, reproduce failures, isolate root causes, and improve the system until it works not only on your machine, but in the field.
  
  
  
  

What You Bring To The Team

• You’re structured, fast-moving, and a team player. You iterate fast and work with a high degree of autonomy. You love building things that last and analyze and fix root cause problems over applying short-term patches.


• Degree in robotics, aerospace, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, computer vision, or a comparable technical field.


• Several years of hands-on experience in the field. We also consider relevant experience gained through student clubs, internships, or working-student positions.


• Strong fundamentals in guidance, control, vehicle kinematics and dynamics, state estimation, optimization, and dynamical systems, with deep expertise in at least one of these areas.


• Strong implementation skills in C++ or Rust and experience with ROS 2.


• Good understanding of coordinate frames, quaternions, NED/ENU conventions, timing, and filtering.


• Experience with interception or predictive guidance, PID or model-based control, trajectory optimization, or model-predictive approaches.


• Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, MAVLink, or similar flight-control ecosystems.


• Experience with system identification, flight-dynamics modeling, target tracking, or GNSS-denied navigation.


• Experience with simulation, SITL/HITL, flight-log analysis, structured flight testing, or multi-vehicle autonomy.

Why Join Quantum-Systems?

• Be at the forefront of next-generation Defence innovation.


• Work in a fast-paced, agile environment where your ideas make an impact.


• Collaborate with a team of industry pioneers who are ambitious, bold, and visionary.


• Opportunities for individual and professional growth in a globally recognized organization.

About us:

Quantum Systems specializes in the development, design, and production of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS). The company’s range of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sUAS are built to maximize range and versatility and to provide operators with a seamless user experience. By integrating cutting-edge software capabilities, like edge computing and real-time AI-powered data processing, Quantum Systems is building next-generation UAS for clients in the defense, security, and public sectors.