Guidance Navigation and Controls (GNC) Engineer III - Project Based

This is a project-based employee role supporting the development, integration, and validation of ASI's autonomous dozer platforms. Development phases of this nature typically continue through project completion, often spanning two to four years, although scope and duration are determined by business and customer needs.

JOB SUMMARY

The Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer III develops, integrates, and validates algorithms that enable ASI's autonomous dozers to navigate work sites, follow planned paths, maintain stable vehicle control, and complete earthmoving tasks accurately and safely. This role works with vehicle dynamics, localization, state estimation, trajectory planning, path tracking, and control systems to support reliable autonomous operation in challenging construction environments.

As a Level III engineer within ASI's five-level engineering structure, this position independently contributes to moderately complex GNC features and subsystem improvements while receiving guidance on broader architectural and system-level decisions. The role collaborates with perception, embedded software, systems, test, and field operations teams to improve autonomous dozer performance across uneven terrain, changing soil conditions, slopes, confined work areas, and active construction sites.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop, implement, integrate, and validate guidance, navigation, and control algorithms for autonomous dozer applications
• Contribute to vehicle motion control, path tracking, trajectory following, steering, propulsion, braking, and speed-control capabilities
• Develop and tune feedback-control algorithms to improve vehicle stability, accuracy, responsiveness, and operational performance
• Support navigation capabilities that allow autonomous dozers to move safely and efficiently through defined work areas
• Develop and improve localization and state-estimation solutions using GPS/GNSS, inertial sensors, wheel or track feedback, and other vehicle data
• Contribute to trajectory-generation and path-planning solutions for earthmoving, grading, cut-and-fill, site preparation, and related workflows
• Support integration between vehicle motion control, blade-control systems, perception outputs, and task-planning software
• Own defined GNC features and moderately complex assignments from development through integration, testing, and field validation
• Develop models of vehicle dynamics and system behavior to support controller design, simulation, and performance analysis
• Tune control parameters on physical equipment and evaluate performance across different terrain, payload, speed, and operating conditions
• Evaluate GNC performance using simulation, software-in-the-loop testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, recorded-data replay, and full-machine field testing
• Establish measurable performance criteria for assigned features, including path accuracy, tracking error, stability, response time, and task completion
• Analyze vehicle logs and field data to identify performance limitations, control instability, localization errors, and edge cases
• Develop tools and scripts for simulation, data processing, visualization, automated testing, controller tuning, and performance analysis
• Troubleshoot issues involving control behavior, localization, vehicle interfaces, sensor timing, coordinate systems, and system integration
• Collaborate with perception engineers to ensure environmental and terrain information supports safe navigation and control decisions
• Work with embedded software engineers to integrate GNC algorithms into real-time vehicle-control systems
• Partner with test engineers and field testers to develop test procedures, reproduce issues, and verify corrective actions
• Participate in design reviews, code reviews, sprint planning, and technical investigations
• Document algorithms, mathematical models, software interfaces, assumptions, test results, and known system limitations
• Support customer demonstrations, field deployments, and troubleshooting activities as required

ESSENTIAL EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE, JOB SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
• Typically five or more years of experience developing controls, navigation, robotics, vehicle-dynamics, state-estimation, or autonomous-system software
• Strong understanding of classical and modern control theory, including feedback control, PID control, stability, and system dynamics
• Experience developing and tuning control algorithms on physical robotic, automotive, aerospace, industrial, or heavy-equipment systems
• Experience with localization, navigation, trajectory generation, path tracking, or state estimation
• Proficiency in C++ and Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or comparable engineering tools
• Experience developing software in Linux-based environments
• Familiarity with ROS, ROS2, or comparable robotics middleware
• Understanding of coordinate systems, transformations, vehicle kinematics, and vehicle dynamics
• Experience using simulation and test data to evaluate algorithm and system performance
• Experience developing production-quality software using version control, peer review, automated testing, and continuous integration practices
• Ability to analyze complex system behavior and troubleshoot software, sensor, and vehicle-integration issues
• Strong analytical, mathematical, and technical problem-solving skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional engineering and field teams

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Controls, or a related discipline
• Experience developing GNC systems for autonomous vehicles, construction equipment, heavy machinery, mobile robots, or off-road platforms
• Knowledge of dozer operations, grading, earthmoving, cut-and-fill, site preparation, or construction workflows
• Experience with model-based design, system identification, controller tuning, or vehicle-dynamics modeling
• Experience with Kalman filters, extended Kalman filters, particle filters, or other state-estimation methods
• Experience with GNSS, RTK positioning, IMUs, odometry, encoders, and multi-sensor localization
• Familiarity with optimization-based control, model predictive control, trajectory optimization, or motion planning
• Experience integrating algorithms with vehicle-control units, embedded controllers, CAN networks, or drive-by-wire systems
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink, C++, Python, Gazebo, or similar simulation and development tools
• Experience with software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and recorded-data replay testing
• Familiarity with functional safety concepts and validation practices for autonomous or safety-critical systems
• Experience validating control systems in high-vibration, dusty, uneven, off-road, construction, mining, or industrial environments

BENEFITS

ASI offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 401k with employer match
• Generous HSA contribution
• PTO, paid holidays, and flextime
• ASI covers 90% of employee medical plan costs

At Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI), we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all employees and applicants have equal opportunities. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic. ASI complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding nondiscrimination in employment and is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process.

This is a full-time, project-based employment opportunity. Your employment with ASI will be "at will," meaning that either you or ASI may terminate your employment at any time for any lawful reason, with or without cause or advance notice.