GNC Engineer

black.ai; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Job summary

Vessev is building hydrofoiling electric vessels and seeking a GNC Engineer to develop guidance, navigation, and control algorithms for foiling vessels.

You will own parts of the control law, work with senior engineers, and contribute to simulation, HITL testing, and cross-functional integration to advance the vessel's flight and ride quality.

Qualifications

• A degree in engineering, aerospace, applied mathematics, or a similar field.
• 4+ years’ experience working on controls, robotics, or dynamical systems.
• Solid hands-on experience with Python or MATLAB for modelling and prototyping.
• Experience with 6DOF or other simulation environments.
• Concrete experience turning ideas into reality.

Responsibilities

• Develop Navigation: state estimation and sensor fusion for vessel state.
• Develop Control: create control laws for full-scale vessels and own specific problems.
• Develop Guidance: decide where vessel should go and how it should get there across modes.
• Simulation & prototyping: extend 6DOF simulator and build prototypes in Python/MATLAB.
• Cross-functional collaboration: work with Flight Software and other engineers to integrate systems.

Skills

Controls engineering

Autonomy

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

6DOF simulation

Job description

At Vessev, we’re defining a new category of marine transport: hydrofoiling electric vessels that are genuinely better for people and the planet. Our boats fly above the surface using advanced hydrofoils, control systems, and electric propulsion - designed and built here in Aotearoa.

With strong momentum, global growth, and major milestones ahead, we’re looking for a GNC Engineer to help develop the algorithms that keep our vessels flying smoothly above the water. Controlling the complex hydrodynamics of a foiling boat, while keeping passengers comfortable, is a genuinely interesting problem to work on and you’ll be right at the heart of it.

This is an exciting opportunity to help build the technical capabilities of a category-defining, Kiwi startup from the earliest stage. There’s so much scope to make this role your own, and we want you to create something you’re insanely proud of.

The role

You’ll sit within our Vessel Controls team, developing the Guidance, Navigation, and Control algorithms that ultimately get implemented on the boat. You’ll be trusted to own pieces of the control law development yourself, working closely with senior engineers and bringing your own judgement to the table.

What you’ll be doing

Navigation

• State estimation and sensor fusion algorithms, combining IMU, GNSS, and height sensing into an accurate picture of vessel state.
• Handling noisy, real-world signals: wave-induced motion, spray, sensor dropouts, and the general messiness of a marine environment.

Control

• Developing control laws for our full-scale vessels, taking ownership of specific problems while collaborating closely with senior engineers on the team.
• Contributing to decisions on what sensors will drive control, and why.
• Helping build the analysis tools and workflows the team uses to assess controller performance.
• Balancing performance against passenger comfort, and helping define what "good" actually feels like on the water.

Guidance

• Developing the algorithms that decide where the vessel should go and how it should get there: ride height, speed, heading and turn behaviour.
• Owning the transitions that matter most to passengers: taking off onto the foils, coming back down, and coordinated turns that feel smooth rather than sharp.
• Shaping how guidance targets are set across different operating modes, from low-speed manoeuvring and docking through to sustained foiling flight.

Simulation & prototyping

• Extending and improving our 6DOF simulator to support the development of new vessels and systems.
• Building control system prototypes in Python or MATLAB to test and refine in the simulator and Hardware-In-The-Loop (HITL) system.

Cross-functional collaboration

• Working closely with our Flight Software team to implement and validate the algorithms you develop.
• Developing a strong working understanding of how mechanical, electrical, structural and control systems fit together to form the bigger picture of a hydrofoiling vessel.

About you

You’ve got a few years under your belt in controls, robotics, or a related engineering discipline, and you’re ready to take more ownership of the problems you work on. You’ll be sharp, hands-on, and genuinely curious about how complex systems work together.

You take real pride in turning a good idea into something that actually works, and you’re comfortable working with a good degree of autonomy while still knowing when to bring in the right people.

We’re looking for someone with

• A degree in engineering, aerospace, applied mathematics, or a similar field.
• 4+ years’ experience working on controls, robotics, or dynamical systems.
• Solid hands-on experience with Python or MATLAB for modelling and prototyping.
• Experience with 6DOF or other simulation environments.
• Concrete experience turning ideas into reality.
• Strong teamwork skills and the ability to work well across different engineering disciplines.
• A proactive, enthusiastic and self-motivated approach, with genuine openness to learning.
• The ability to take a flexible approach and adapt to change quickly.

Bonus experience

• Experience in a start-up or fast-paced engineering environment.
• Experience within marine, aerospace, robotics, or motorsport.

About us

We’re here to set a better world in motion - cleaner air, better commutes, and deeper connections with nature and each other. Our hydrofoiling electric vessels use up to 90% less energy than traditional boats, unlocking entirely new opportunities.

We’re backed by top-tier investors including Blackbird Ventures, and our team includes talent from the America’s Cup, SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Halter, Apple, and leading climate startups. But titles don’t matter here – what matters is how we show up: with purpose, humility, and a restless optimism for what’s possible.

We’re office-first but not office-only. We believe in building together, in person, where the real magic happens. That said, we trust our team to do what’s right and we know life isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Why our people love Vessev

• We’re building something different – from how we move on the water to the kind of team and workplace we’re creating.
• The chance to work on technology that can drive real, lasting impact in the world.
• A team of hugely talented and collaborative people.
• 20 weeks fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers, and 4 weeks for secondary (conditions apply).
• Competitive salaries that reflect the value of the work.
• Being on the water is part of our job – from trips on our vessels to our offices that border the Tamaki River.
• And if the water’s where you want to be, you’ll be in good company. You’ll find no shortage of boaters, beach goers, sailors, foilers, surfers, and kiteboarders here.