Guidance, Navigation, & Control Engineer (GNC)

OKSI; Torrance (CA); Hybrid; USD 240,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work within United States

Medical/dental/vision coverage

3 weeks of vacation

401(k) with company contribution

Educational assistance

Job summary

OKSI is seeking a senior engineer to own estimation, tracking, fusion, and guidance for defense systems. You will develop nonlinear estimators (EKF/UKF/IMM), multi-target tracking, and sensor fusion across EO, IR, inertial, and RF, with LOAL and GPS-denied navigation in a real-time C++ environment.

You'll prototype in Python/ MATLAB, port to production, and work on containerized modules for embedded targets, with opportunities to interact with customers and contribute to SBIR/STTR papers.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• 8+ years developing estimation, tracking, GNC, or seeker algorithms for aerospace or defense systems.
• Proven expertise in nonlinear estimation (EKF, UKF, IMM or equivalent).
• Production experience with multi-target tracking, data association, and track management algorithms.
• Proficiency in real-time C++ for embedded systems.
• Experience with sensor fusion across multiple modalities (EO, IR, inertial, RF).
• Demonstrated capability shipping algorithm code to hardware under SWaP-C constraints.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement multi-target tracking pipelines for static and moving targets: initiation, gating, data association, track maintenance, and re-acquisition after occlusion or dropout.
• Develop nonlinear estimators (EKF, UKF, IMM) for target state, relative geometry, and passive ranging solutions.
• Integrate multi-modal sensor fusion across EO, IR, and inertial sources; RF where the platform provides it.
• Own lock-on-after-launch (LOAL) logic: acquisition, track confirmation, and handoff into terminal guidance.
• Build image-based ATD/ATR chains feeding closed-loop guidance: detection, classification, orientation and rate estimation, and vulnerability aimpoint selection.
• Develop and evaluate terminal guidance laws (proportional navigation and variants) against miss distance, seeker field-of-view, and control authority constraints.
• Harden endgame performance in real-world conditions: clutter, low contrast, obscuration, and high closing rates.
• Create visual-inertial navigation delivering drift-free, absolute positional awareness through midcourse and terminal phases without GPS or laser designators.
• Characterize, align, and calibrate INS/IMU systems on low-cost, SWaP-C-constrained inertial hardware.
• Implement georegistration, photogrammetry, and map-matching approaches that bound inertial drift; integrate with flight stacks (PX4, ArduPilot).
• Write modern, object-oriented C++ implementations of all algorithms, running inside containerized guidance modules on embedded targets (NVIDIA, Qualcomm Snapdragon, FPGA) under hard SWaP-C and timing constraints.
• Prototype in Python or MATLAB, then carry it to flight-quality code yourself—there's no throwing it over the wall to a software team here.
• Exercise algorithms in physics-based simulation environments (Unreal, Unity, CSG, AFSIM, FLITES, MODTRAN, DIRSIG).
• Run Monte Carlo and hardware-in-the-loop campaigns to validate performance.
• Support captive-carry and live flight test; own the anomaly investigation when telemetry disagrees with the model.
• Set the algorithm architecture and mentor engineers implementing alongside you.
• Engage directly with customers and partners: technical interchanges, live demos, proposals, and SBIR/STTR white papers.

Skills

Nonlinear estimation

Real-time C++

Sensor fusion

Multi-target tracking

Data association

LOAL logic

Implements in embedded

PX4/ArduPilot basics

Education

BS in EE/AE/CS/Physics/Math

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Docker

PX4

ArduPilot

Job description

Position Overview

Our seeker and terminal guidance products are moving from demonstrated capability to fielded systems across long‑range strike, loitering and guided munitions, counter‑UAS, air‑launched effects, and rockets and mortars. We need a senior engineer to own the estimation and guidance core of that stack: the tracker, the filters, the fusion, the guidance law, and the navigation solution that keeps working when GPS does not.

What You’ll Do

Target Tracking, Estimation & Fusion

• Design and implement multi‑target tracking pipelines for static and moving targets: initiation, gating, data association, track maintenance, and re‑acquisition after occlusion or dropout
• Develop nonlinear estimators (EKF, UKF, IMM) for target state, relative geometry, and passive ranging solutions
• Integrate multi‑modal sensor fusion across EO, IR, and inertial sources; RF where the platform provides it
• Own lock‑on‑after‑launch (LOAL) logic: acquisition, track confirmation, and handoff into terminal guidance

Terminal Guidance & Seeker Algorithms

• Build image‑based ATD/ATR chains feeding closed‑loop guidance: detection, classification, orientation and rate estimation, and vulnerability aimpoint selection
• Develop and evaluate terminal guidance laws (proportional navigation and variants) against miss distance, seeker field‑of‑view, and control authority constraints
• Harden endgame performance in real‑world conditions: clutter, low contrast, obscuration, and high closing rates

GPS‑Denied Navigation

• Create visual‑inertial navigation delivering drift‑free, absolute positional awareness through midcourse and terminal phases without GPS or laser designators
• Characterize, align, and calibrate INS/IMU systems on low‑cost, SWaP‑C‑constrained inertial hardware
• Implement georegistration, photogrammetry, and map‑matching approaches that bound inertial drift; integrate with flight stacks (PX4, ArduPilot)

Real‑Time Software

• Write modern, object‑oriented C++ implementations of all algorithms, running inside containerized guidance modules on embedded targets (NVIDIA, Qualcomm Snapdragon, FPGA) under hard SWaP‑C and timing constraints
• Prototype in Python or MATLAB, then carry it to flight‑quality code yourself—there's no throwing it over the wall to a software team here

Simulation, Test & Analysis

• Exercise algorithms in physics‑based, photorealistic simulation environments (Unreal, Unity, CSG, AFSIM, FLITES, MODTRAN, DIRSIG)
• Run Monte Carlo and hardware‑in‑the‑loop campaigns to validate performance
• Support captive‑carry and live flight test; own the anomaly investigation when telemetry disagrees with the model

Technical Leadership

• Set the algorithm architecture and mentor engineers implementing alongside you
• Engage directly with customers and partners: technical interchanges, live demos, proposals, and SBIR/STTR white papers
• At our size, the engineer who built it is the engineer who presents it

Requirements

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• 8+ years developing estimation, tracking, GNC, or seeker algorithms for aerospace or defense systems
• Proven expertise in nonlinear estimation (EKF, UKF, IMM or equivalent)
• Production experience with multi‑target tracking, data association, and track management algorithms
• Proficiency in real‑time C++ for embedded systems
• Experience with sensor fusion across multiple modalities (EO, IR, inertial, RF)
• Demonstrated capability shipping algorithm code to hardware under SWaP‑C constraints

Preferred

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a relevant technical discipline
• 10+ years in aerospace or defense guidance/navigation/control
• Direct experience with terminal guidance law development and closed‑loop control
• Hands‑on work with image‑based detection, tracking, or target recognition (ATD/ATR chains)
• GPS‑denied or visual‑inertial navigation system design and implementation
• INS/IMU characterization, error modeling, and calibration on tactical‑grade hardware
• Flight test participation (captive‑carry and live fire)
• Proficiency in simulation tools (Unreal, Unity, AFSIM, MODTRAN, DIRSIG, or equivalent)
• MATLAB/Simulink prototyping transitioning to production code
• Customer‑facing technical presentation and proposal experience
• Familiarity with containerized deployment (Docker) and flight stacks (PX4, ArduPilot)
• Background in proportional navigation or advanced guidance architectures
• Experience with hardware‑in‑the‑loop and Monte Carlo validation campaigns

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $240 K–$290 K. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budget allocated for this role.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage fully paid by the employer for employees
• Three weeks of vacation to start
• Automatic company contribution to 401(k) – 5 % of earned wages (no matching required)
• Educational assistance and professional development opportunities
• In‑office (Jacksonville, AK or Los Angeles, CA) or remote work (United States) available (position dependent)

We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in the application and hiring process.

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R.

This employer participates in E-Verify.