Flight Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Allenspark (CO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and retirement plans

Generous paid time off

Tuition assistance for you and yourde

Job summary

The Bio-Inspired Perception and Robotics Laboratory (BPRL) at the University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a Flight Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer to design adaptive guidance and navigation layers for autonomous aerial platforms.

You will integrate perception systems (event-based vision, mmWave radar, LiDAR) with flight controllers, perform simulations, hardware integration, and conduct outdoor flight tests; PhD required. Salary range $70,000-$80,000.

Qualifications

• PhD in engineering, robotics, or computer science.
• Strong background in robotics, estimation, guidance, navigation and control.
• Experience with sensor fusion and state estimation techniques (EKF variants, factor-graph optimization).
• Experience integrating vision systems, LiDAR, radar on robotic platforms.
• Strong programming skills in C++ and Python; experience with ROS2 and PX4.

Responsibilities

• Design adaptive guidance and navigation algorithms for autonomous aerial vehicles.
• Develop perception-driven guidance laws integrating event-based vision, adaptive focal plane imaging, and mmWave radar.
• Design multi-sensor fusion and state estimation for dynamic tracking and autonomous pursuit.
• Implement and evaluate algorithms within ROS2, PX4/ArduPilot and embedded platforms.
• Conduct simulations, hardware integration, and outdoor flight experiments; analyze data and iterate to improve guidance.

Skills

Robotics

Estimation

Guidance

Navigation

Control

Sensor fusion

C++

Python

ROS2

PX4

Education

PhD in engineering, robotics, or computer science

Tools

ROS2

PX4

ArduPilot

Job description

Job Summary

The Bio-Inspired Perception and Robotics Laboratory (BPRL) isseeking a Flight Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer.The successful candidate will design and implement the adaptiveguidance and navigation layers for novel bio-inspired forautonomous aerial platforms. Working closely with researchersdeveloping adaptive focal plane imaging, event-based vision, andmmWave radar. The candidate will be responsible for integratingheterogeneous perception systems with inner loop flight controllersto enable robust flight behaviors.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with allapplicable federal, state, and local laws governingnondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating aworkplace where all individuals are treated with respect anddignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds toapply, including protected veterans and individuals withdisabilities.

Who We Are

The Bio-Inspired Perception and Robotics Laboratory (BPRL) is afacility in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and theRobotics Graduate Program at the University of Colorado, Boulderthat conducts research and development in the areas of fieldrobotics and biologically inspired robotics. We seek to distill thefundamental sensing, processing and feedback principles that governrobust behavior in organisms to enable new classes of roboticsystems with improved agility, locomotion and autonomy.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

The successful candidate will design adaptive guidance andnavigation algorithms for autonomous aerial vehicles and developperception-driven guidance laws that integrate event-based vision,adaptive focal plane imaging, and mmWave radar measurements. Thecandidate will also design multi-sensor fusion and state estimationalgorithms for dynamic tracking and autonomous pursuit, implementand evaluate algorithms within ROS2, PX4/ArduPilot and embeddedonboard computing platforms, conduct simulation studies, hardwareintegration, and autonomous flight experiments using motion capturesystems and outdoor flight testing, and analyze flight data anditeratively improve autonomous guidance performance inrepresentative pursuit, interception, and degraded-environmentscenarios.

What We Require

PhD in engineering, robotics, or computer science.

What You Will Need

The candidate will need a strong background in robotics,estimation, guidance, navigation, and control, experience withsensor fusion and state estimation techniques (Extended KalmanFilters, Error-State Kalman Filters, factor graph optimization, orsimilar), and experience integrating vision systems, event cameras,LiDAR, radar, or other advanced perception sensors on roboticplatforms. Ideally the candidate has strong programming skills inC++ and Python, experience with ROS2, PX4.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary range for this appointment will be $70,000 -$80,000.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we arecommitted to supporting the holistic health and well-being of ouremployees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• medical, dental, and retirement plans
• generous paid time off
• tuition assistance for you and your dependents
• an ECO Pass for local transit

As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulderoffers an inspiring academic community and access to world-classoutdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs throughthe CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be resourceful. Be game-changing. Be Boulder.

Please apply by October 15, 2026 for consideration.