GNC Engineer

Applied; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Intuition in London seeks a Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer to drive core flight autonomy capabilities for aerial UAVs and simulations. You will design, integrate and rigorously test GNC software, contributing to reusable capabilities used across programs.

The role requires a Master’s degree and 6+ years in GNC, with strong C++ and Python skills, knowledge of PX4/ArduPilot, and a security clearance pathway for national defense projects.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Aerospace, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science or similar field.
• 6+ years of hands-on experience developing GNC software for autonomous systems.
• Experience developing autonomy algorithms in C++.
• Experience developing or implementing outer-loop control systems or path planning algorithms.
• Strong foundation in control theory, dynamics, and optimization, with experience applying them to real-world autonomous systems.
• Experience developing and simulating 3DoF or 6DoF models of air vehicles to support GNC algorithm development.
• Experience with flight testing and performing data analysis.
• Experience with UAS GNC/navigation systems such as PX4 and Ardupilot.
• Strong functional, procedural, data-oriented, and object-oriented programming experience.

Responsibilities

• Write software that operates real autonomous aircraft systems including group 1-5 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as simulated models to accomplish tactical military missions.
• Build, leverage, and improve aerial autonomy software architectures that are ultimately tested and deployed on real systems to accomplish military missions.
• Collaborate with 3rd party UAS vehicle vendors to develop and integrate aerial autonomy software onto OEM hardware.

Skills

GNC software

C++

Python

Docker

Linux

Data analysis

PX4

ArduPilot

Control theory

Path planning

SIL/HIL

Education

Master’s degree in Aerospace/Robotics/EE/ME/CS

Tools

Bazel

Git

Job description

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company's solutions to deliver physical intelligence.

Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co . We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions GNC Engineer About Applied Intuition Defence Applied Intuition UK is a software and infrastructure supplier that accelerates the deployment of next-generation autonomous capabilities to the warfighter across air, land, sea, and space. A subsidiary of Applied Intuition, we deliver dual-use solutions to national security customers that build upon several years of product development and experience from commercial autonomy programs. Based in London, our seasoned defence team hails from Palantir, Anduril, SpaceX, Google, Lockheed Martin, and the UK and US Armed Services. Learn more at appliedintuitiondefense.com .

About the role

As a Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer at Applied, you'll be at the forefront of defense aerial autonomy. You'll design, integrate, and rigorously test core flight autonomy capabilities across the full range of aerial UAS platforms, from agile quadrotors to long-range fixed wings. Partnering with teams across the company, you'll create and adapt GNC algorithms to the unique requirements of each program, contributing directly to our core software stack so your work becomes a reusable capability that powers every program, not just one. The mission is bold and the stakes are real: you'll be engineering the systems that give our military an unmatched edge in the skies.

Key responsibilities

• Write software that operates real autonomous aircraft systems including group 1-5 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as simulated models to accomplish tactical military missions
• Build, leverage, and improve aerial autonomy software architectures that are ultimately tested and deployed on real systems to accomplish military missions
• Collaborate with 3rd party UAS vehicle vendors to develop and integrate aerial autonomy software onto OEM hardware

Qualifications & Requirements

• Master's degree in Aerospace, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science or similar field
• 6+ years of hands‑on experience developing GNC software for autonomous systems
• Experience developing autonomy algorithms in C++
• Experience developing or implementing outer-loop control systems or path planning algorithms
• Strong foundation in control theory, dynamics, and optimization, with experience applying them to real-world autonomous systems
• Experience developing and simulating 3DoF or 6DoF models of air vehicles to support GNC algorithm development
• Experience with flight testing and performing data analysis
• Experience with UAS GNC/navigation systems such as PX4 and Ardupilot
• Strong functional, procedural, data‑oriented, and object‑oriented programming experience

Additional Experience

• Nice to have: Ability to use data visualization and debugging tools to support autonomy control development
• Experience developing in Docker and containerized development environments, using Linux‑based operating systems (e.g., RHEL, Ubuntu), source control systems, and artifact registries
• Understanding of key technologies: C++, Python, DevOps, Containers, Linux
• Familiarity with software‑in‑the‑loop (SIL) and hardware‑in‑the-loop (HIL) development and testing
• Experience with Bazel
• Experience working projects related to national security for one or more government agencies
• References who will describe them as low‑ego, highly motivated, thoughtfully opinionated, str

Travel Requirements

General willingness to travel for company business between our offices, as well as to customer sites

Security Requirements

Must have ability to hold UK Security Clearance (current or previous preferred)