Scientist- Inertial Navigation

Aerosphere Power and Navigation; Mount Olive (NJ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Aerosphere Power and Navigation in Budd Lake, NJ, seeks a Senior Scientist to lead inertial sensing and navigation work, focusing on Ring Laser Gyro and Fiber Optic Gyro systems. This senior role blends scientific leadership with hands-on experimentation to advance sensor performance and product readiness.

The position requires collaboration with engineering, operations, and customer teams to translate research into reliable, manufacturable products, and to guide development gates and

Qualifications

• Master's degree in physics, optics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied mathematics, or closely related discipline; Ph.D. preferred.
• Typically 15+ years of relevant experience in inertial sensing or related advanced technologies.
• Proven leadership and expertise in RLG, FOG, or related precision sensing technologies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as principal technical authority for inertial sensor physics, gyro performance, and navigation-system error mechanisms across RLG and FOG product lines.
• Define technology roadmaps, research priorities, and development strategies aligned with customer needs and long-term goals.
• Lead investigations and feasibility studies for new sensing concepts and performance improvements.

Skills

Inertial sensing

RLG

FOG

Signal processing

MATLAB

Python

Technical leadership

Communication

Education

Master's degree in physics, optics, EE, aerospace, applied math

PhD preferred

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

At Aerosphere Power and Navigation, we're committed to attracting and nurturing diverse, high-performing talent who are passionate about their work. Our employees share a common purpose-supporting our customers' missions while pursuing their own professional growth. We foster an inclusive and engaging workplace culture where innovation, collaboration, and work-life balance thrive. Core to our values is a steadfast commitment to excellence, community engagement, and integrity in everything we do.

About Aerosphere Power and Navigation

Aerosphere Power and Navigation Corporation located in Budd Lake, NJ is a leading independent provider of advanced inertial navigation and power solutions for the aerospace, defense, commercial, and industrial sectors. As pioneers in fiber optic gyros, and ring laser gyros, we drive innovation across a wide range of navigation applications and power‑conversion applications.

Scientist - Inertial Navigation

Job Description

We are seeking a Scientist to serve as a senior technical authority for advanced inertial sensing and navigation technologies, with an emphasis on Ring Laser Gyro (RLG) and Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG) systems. This role combines scientific expertise, hands‑on investigation, and cross‑functional technical leadership to advance sensor performance, guide next‑generation product development, and resolve complex technical challenges.

The successful candidate will help define technology strategy, lead research and development initiatives, and translate scientific principles into reliable, manufacturable products. Working across engineering, operations, business development, and customer organizations, this individual will influence technical decisions from early concept through qualification and production. This is a senior individual‑contributor role with broad responsibility for technical leadership, mentorship, and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a principal technical authority for inertial sensor physics, gyro performance, and navigation-system error mechanisms across RLG and FOG based product lines.
• Define and guide technology roadmaps, research priorities, and development strategies aligned with customer needs, product objectives, and long‑term business goals.
• Lead scientific investigations and feasibility studies for new sensing concepts, performance improvements, and advanced navigation capabilities.
• Develop and validate analytical models, simulations, and error budgets linking sensor physics, optical and electronic behavior, environmental effects, and system‑level performance.
• Guide the development of signal processing, control, calibration, compensation, and estimation approaches that improve accuracy, stability, and repeatability.
• Lead resolution of complex performance issues involving bias stability, scale factor, nonlinearity, noise, thermal sensitivity, vibration sensitivity, aging, and other error sources.
• Design and oversee experiments that establish physical mechanisms, validate models, and demonstrate measurable improvements.
• Collaborate with optical, electrical, mechanical, software, systems, test, and manufacturing engineers to translate research findings into practical product designs.
• Provide technical oversight for architecture reviews, design trade studies, development gates, and qualification‑readiness assessments.
• Partner with manufacturing and quality teams to improve process capability, production yield, calibration efficiency, and long‑term product consistency.
• Support customer technical discussions, proposals, research opportunities, and external technical collaborations.
• Develop technical reports, invention disclosures, and publications, as appropriate, while protecting proprietary information and intellectual property.
• Mentor scientists and engineers, strengthen technical review practices, and promote rigorous, evidence‑based problem solving.

Qualifications

Master's in physics, Optics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related discipline; a Ph.D. is preferred.

• Typically, 15 or more years of relevant experience in inertial sensing, precision instrumentation, navigation systems, or related advanced technologies.
• Demonstrated technical leadership and recognized expertise in RLG, FOG, or closely related precision sensing technologies.
• Deep understanding of inertial sensor physics, optical sensing, signal processing, control systems, and sensor error characterization.
• Proven record of translating research or advanced development into demonstrated product performance, successful product introduction, or sustained manufacturing improvements.
• Strong experience developing models, designing experiments, analyzing complex data, and correlating theoretical predictions with measured results.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multidisciplinary technical investigations and resolve ambiguous problems.
• Proficiency with scientific computing and analysis tools such as MATLAB, Python, or equivalent platforms.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to engineers, executives, customers, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success mentoring technical personnel and influencing decisions across organizational boundaries.

Preferred Skills

• Expertise in RLG phenomena such as lock‑in, backscatter coupling, dither behavior, cavity dynamics, and associated compensation methods.
• Expertise in FOG technologies, including interferometric sensing, optical modulation, polarization effects, optical sources, fiber coils.

Aerosphere Power & Navigation is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or veteran status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

The salary range for this position is $140,000- $185,000. Aerosphere Power & Navigation also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, parental leave, paid time off, and company‑paid holidays.

* This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time. Aerosphere Power & Navigation reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Employment with Aerosphere Power & Navigation may be contingent upon successful completion of a background check, as permitted by applicable federal, state, and local laws.

*ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

Separate from employment eligibility (Form I-9), U.S. export license requirements may apply before the Company can provide certain non-"U.S. persons" with access to specific technology, software and hardware that may be necessary for a position. As such, this position may require ITAR or EAR clearance.

AEROSPHERE POWER & NAVIGATION Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or veteran status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.