Senior GNC Engineer

Anduril; Waltham (IL); On-site; USD 191,000 - 253,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in the United States seeks a Senior Path Planning Engineer to join the Battlespace Awareness Command and Control Software team. Lead a small team and advance real-time path planning, multi-agent coordination, and trajectory optimization for autonomous platforms.

The role emphasizes robust C/C++, Python, and MATLAB development, production deployment, and collaboration with operators and stakeholders to ensure mission success. Eligible for U.S.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in algorithm design, software development and mathematical modeling.
• Strong knowledge of path planning techniques (A*, D* Lite, RRT, PRM, etc.).
• Experience in guidance, navigation and control (GNC) and trajectory optimization.
• Solid grounding in linear algebra, optimization, computational geometry and graph theory.
• Knowledge of vehicle dynamics and autonomous platforms in C2 systems.
• Familiarity with large-scale geospatial data and distributed C2 architectures.
• Machine learning applied to planning and decision-making.
• Ability to build robust, concurrent planning under uncertainty for dynamic environments.
• Eligible to obtain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Define and influence the direction of a small team within the Command and Control Software organization, leveraging expertise in path planning and route optimization.
• Prototype and deploy state-of-the-art algorithms for global/local path planning and multi-agent coordination.
• Develop online real-time path planning that adapts to changing mission conditions and vehicle states.
• Develop high-performance software for real-time C2 systems and autonomous tasking services.
• Design and implement robust planners and decision-making systems for dynamic environments.
• Analyze system performance with simulations and modeling tools to validate planner behavior.
• Customize algorithms for mission-critical use cases and customer success.
• Integrate path planning technologies into the broader C2 software stack and lifecycle.
• Translate technical progress into clear insights for stakeholders.

Skills

Algorithm design

Software development

Mathematical modeling

GNC knowledge

Machine learning for planning

Multi-agent coordination

Prototyping

Tools

C/C++

Python

MATLAB

Rust

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE TEAM

At Anduril, our Battlespace Awareness Command and Control Software team specializes in solving complex, real-world problems through cutting-edge algorithms and intelligent software integrations. Operating in small, innovative teams, we push the boundaries of what's possible to deliver advanced technologies with mission-critical applications. Our commitment doesn't end with academic research or proof-of-concept experiments; we measure our success by the real-world impact of our deployed solutions. Inspired by Arthur C. Clarke's vision — “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” — we aim to achieve groundbreaking results in path planning, route optimization, and autonomous mission execution at the command and control layer. We are currently seeking highly talented technologists to join our mission and redefine the future of defense technology.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Define and influence the direction of a small team within the Command and Control Software organization, leveraging your subject-matter expertise in path planning and route optimization.
• Prototype and deploy state-of-the-art algorithms for global and local path planning, trajectory optimization, and multi-agent coordination within command and control systems.
• Develop online (real-time) path planning capabilities that replan safely and efficiently as mission conditions, threats, and vehicle states change.
• Develop high-performance software for real-time C2 systems, ranging from operator-facing mission planning tools to autonomous tasking and routing services that orchestrate fleets of unmanned platforms.
• Design and implement robust planners, search algorithms, and decision-making systems that generate safe, feasible, and optimal routes in dynamic, uncertain, and contested environments.
• Analyze system performance using high-fidelity simulations, innovative modeling tools, and rigorous statistical techniques to validate planner behavior across diverse mission scenarios.
• Drive customer success by customizing algorithms and software for mission-critical use cases, including collaborative autonomy, asset routing, and obstacle and threat avoidance.
• Integrate path planning technologies into the broader command and control software stack and development lifecycle, from requirements definition through testing and optimization.
• Translate technical progress into clear, actionable insights for diverse stakeholders, including colleagues, operators, and end-users.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of experience in algorithm design, software development, and mathematical modeling with programming expertise in C/C++, Python, and MATLAB.
• Strong knowledge of path planning techniques, such as graph-based search (A*, D* Lite), sampling-based planners (RRT, RRT*, PRM), and online/real-time replanning approaches.
• Demonstrated experience in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC); trajectory optimization and trajectory prediction; and/or the development of predictive models for vehicle dynamics and weapon system effectiveness (e.g., 6-DoF simulation, intercept analysis).
• Solid understanding of applied mathematics, including linear algebra, optimization, computational geometry, and graph theory.
• Knowledge of vehicle dynamics, kinematic constraints, and control theory as applied to autonomous ground, air, or maritime platforms tasked through C2 systems, including high-speed aerial vehicles.
• Familiarity with map representations, terrain reasoning, state estimation, and the efficient handling of large-scale geospatial and environmental data within distributed C2 architectures.
• Background in machine learning as applied to planning and decision-making, including reinforcement learning, learned heuristics, and behavior prediction.
• Ability to engineer robust, concurrent systems for planning under uncertainty, multi-agent coordination, and operation in complex, dynamic, contested environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work across development lifecycles, from prototyping to optimizing production systems.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with Rust for high-performance, safety-critical software.
• Experience across mixed greenfield/brownfield codebases, including extending an existing planning/routing stack in production.

US Salary Range

$191,000—$253,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Benefits

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.