Senior Guidance Engineer

XTEND; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Roboticsconnected is seeking a Senior Guidance Engineer to advance drone autonomy, focusing on guidance and mission-level decisions for high-performance aerial platforms in dynamic environments.

You will design and deploy guidance and motion planning algorithms to enable precise, high-speed maneuvers and robust mission execution, collaborating with hardware, embedded software, and perception teams.

Qualifications

• BSc or MSc in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering fields.
• 3+ years of experience in GNC, guidance, autonomy, or related aerospace/robotics fields.
• Strong experience with AI tools, guidance algorithms, trajectory generation, and motion planning.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize guidance and motion planning algorithms for autonomous drones.
• Define mission-level behaviors and guidance logic, balancing performance, safety, and robustness.
• Implement real-time control interfaces to execute trajectories reliably in uncertain conditions.
• Work closely with embedded software, mechatronics, and perception teams to ensure seamless integration.
• Identify and address edge cases and failure modes, building resilience and graceful degradation.
• Stay current with advancements in drone autonomy, guidance, motion planning, and control.

Skills

GNC

Guidance algorithms

Trajectory generation

Motion planning

Drone development

C++

Python

ROS 2

PX4

ArduPilot

System integration

Education

BSc in Mechanical Engineering

BSc in Aerospace Engineering

MSc in Mechanical/Aerospace

Tools

ROS 2

PX4

ArduPilot

C++

Python

Job description

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Guidance Engineer to play a critical role in the development of next-generation drone platforms.

This position focuses heavily on guidance and mission-level decision-making for high-performance aerial systems operating in dynamic, real-world environments.

You will design and deploy guidance and motion planning algorithms that enable precise, high-speed maneuvers and complex mission execution. This role blends analytical rigor with creativity, tackling problems that often have no textbook solutions. You’ll collaborate closely with hardware, embedded software, and perception teams to bring advanced autonomy from concept to flight.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize guidance and motion planning algorithms for autonomous drones
• Define mission-level behaviors and guidance logic, balancing performance, safety, and robustness
• Implement real-time control interfaces to execute trajectories reliably in uncertain conditions
• Work closely with embedded software, mechatronics, and perception teams to ensure seamless integration
• Identify and address edge cases and failure modes, building resilience and graceful degradation
• Stay current with advancements in drone autonomy, guidance, motion planning, and control

Requirements

• BSc or MSc in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering fields.
• 3+ years of experience in GNC, guidance, autonomy, or related aerospace/robotics fields
• Strong experience with AI tools, guidance algorithms, trajectory generation, and motion planning
• Solid understanding of system-level constraints affecting real-world aerial platforms
• Hands-on experience with real-world drone development, debugging, and iteration
• Strong collaboration skills across software, hardware, and deployment teams
• A creative, problem-solving mindset with a passion for advanced aerial missions

Nice to Have / Advantage

• Strong foundation in control theory
• Experience with state estimation techniques, including Extended Kalman Filters (EKF)
• Experience using ROS 2, PX4, ArduPilot, or similar drone/robotics frameworks
• Proficiency in C++ and Python

Why Join Us?

• Work on cutting-edge drone guidance and autonomy systems with real-world impact
• Join a fast-paced, highly skilled team that values ownership and technical excellence
• See your ideas progress from whiteboard -> simulation -> real-world deployment
• Be part of a culture that thrives on solving hard problems and pushing the limits of engineering