Autonomy Engineer (UAV)

Ascend Engineering; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascend Engineering is seeking a Robotics & Autonomy Engineer to develop and integrate autonomy capabilities on UAV platforms based on PX4 and ArduPilot stacks. This full-time role focuses on hands-on integration, real-world flight validation, and debugging across the UAV stack from embedded flight software to system integration.

The ideal candidate combines software development with hardware experience, with strong fundamentals in estimation, controls, and coordinate frames, and a drive to

Qualifications

• Strong robotics/autonomy fundamentals including state estimation and PID control.
• Strong C++ or C programming skills.
• Experience with PX4 or ArduPilot, or ability to ramp quickly on embedded autopilot.
• Experience flying and testing UAVs/robotic platforms.
• Familiarity with MAVLink, flight logs, and autopilot configuration.
• Ability to work independently across multiple projects.
• Strong problem-solving and practical engineering judgment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and modify PX4 or ArduPilot firmware for new autonomy features.
• Implement mission logic, flight behaviors, and MAVLink integrations.
• Integrate sensors, cameras, radios, and payloads into UAVs.
• Tune and analyze estimation and control performance (EKF/Kalman filtering, PID).
• Conduct flight testing and validate autonomous behaviors in real-world conditions.
• Analyze flight logs and telemetry to diagnose issues.
• Debug problems across the UAV stack including firmware, networking, hardware, and companion computers.
• Collaborate with engineers to design robust UAV architectures and workflows.
• Document system behavior, debugging results, and design decisions.

Skills

C/C++

PX4/ArduPilot

Kalman Filtering

Flight Testing

MAVLink

Embedded Software

Problem Solving

Tools

ROS/ROS2

Nav2

Git

Job description

We are seeking a Robotics & Autonomy Engineer to develop, integrate, and maintain autonomy capabilities on UAV platforms built around the PX4 and ArduPilot stacks. This is a full-time role on our engineering team, working across a range of client projects - so the day-to-day emphasizes hands-on integration, debugging, and real-world flight validation more than ground-up design ownership. You'll work across the full UAV stack, from embedded flight software and state estimation through mission logic and system integration, with a strong focus on reliability and practical field performance.

This position suits someone who enjoys both software development and hands-on hardware work, and who’s comfortable owning problems across shifting project contexts. The ideal candidate brings solid robotics and autonomy fundamentals - estimation, controls, and coordinate frames - and is eager to grow deep expertise in the PX4 autopilot stack, including VIO, map matching, and GPS-denied navigation.

MUST HAVE PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN US

Responsibilities

• Develop and modify PX4 or ArduPilot firmware to support new autonomy features and system capabilities
• Implement mission logic, flight behaviors, and MAVLink integrations
• Integrate sensors, cameras, radios, and payloads into UAV platforms
• Tune and analyze estimation and control performance (EKF/Kalman filtering, PID loops) across platforms
• Conduct flight testing and validate autonomous behaviors in real-world conditions
• Analyze flight logs and telemetry to diagnose and resolve issues
• Debug problems across the UAV stack including firmware, networking, hardware, and companion computers
• Collaborate with engineers to design robust UAV architectures and workflows
• Document system behavior, debugging results, and design decisions

Required Qualifications

• Strong robotics/autonomy fundamentals: coordinate frame transformations, state estimation (Kalman filtering / sensor fusion), and PID control analysis
• Strong C++ or C programming skills
• Experience with PX4 or ArduPilot - or demonstrated ability to ramp quickly on a complex embedded autopilot codebase
• Experience flying and testing UAV or robotic platforms
• Familiarity with MAVLink, flight logs, and autopilot configuration
• Experience debugging complex software and hardware interactions
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of engineering tasks across multiple projects
• Strong problem-solving skills and practical engineering judgment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ROS/ROS 2 and Nav2
• Experience with visual-inertial odometry (VIO), map matching, or GPS-denied navigation
• Experience building or configuring drones from components
• Familiarity with companion computers (Linux), MAVSDK, or ROS
• Experience integrating sensors such as LiDAR, cameras, or GPS systems
• Experience with embedded systems or hardware debugging
• Experience analyzing flight logs and tuning flight controllers
• Personal robotics, UAV, or embedded systems projects

What We Value

• Engineers who build and experiment outside of work
• Strong ownership and accountability for outcomes
• Practical, hands-on problem solving
• Clear communication and collaboration within small teams
• Curiosity and continuous learning