Autonomy Engineer, Navigation

Brinc Drones Inc

$100K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field with 3+ years of experience.
  • Strong programming skills in C++ and Python, with experience in real-time systems.
  • Experience developing computer vision or perception systems for robotics or UAVs, with knowledge in VSLAM and VIO.
  • Familiarity with CV models or pipelines on embedded systems, GPUs, or hardware accelerators.
  • Hands-on experience with robotics or UAV validation through field testing.

Responsibilities

  • Research, design, and implement vision-based localization and mapping algorithms.
  • Develop real-time computer vision pipelines for various applications like tracking and depth estimation.
  • Architect and optimize vision-centric sensor fusion systems for robust performance.
  • Build perception algorithms for vision-based navigation and flight behaviors.
  • Develop machine learning models for scene understanding and obstacle detection.
  • Implement and optimize CV pipelines on embedded platforms for high performance.
  • Validate perception performance through various testing methods.
  • Collaborate with teams for seamless integration across systems.
  • Contribute to technical strategy and evolution of the vision stack.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans for employees and families.
  • 401K plan for saving towards retirement.
  • Maternity and paternity leave for family care.
  • Flexible Time Off policies that support work-life balance.
  • Flexible work environment to accommodate diverse working styles.
  • Additional perks such as Orca pass and free snacks at the Seattle office.
Full Job Description
About this Role:

We are seeking an Autonomy Engineer to join our team and advance the navigation capabilities of our UAVs and public safety products. You will design, implement, and optimize real-time planning & perception algorithms that enable safe navigation across a wide range of scenarios. In this role, you will work across local trajectory generation, obstacle detection and avoidance, global route planning, and behavior planning. You will collaborate closely with state estimation & control, embedded software, live ops, and hardware teams to bring next-generation navigation solutions into production UAV platforms.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Research and design algorithms enabling safe UAV navigation.
  • Implement and optimize navigation algorithms on embedded processors for computational efficiency and system resiliency.
  • Work with sensor data to detect and avoid obstacles and environmental hazards.
  • Validate navigation performance through simulation, log replay, hardware-in-the-loop, and real-world flight testing in a variety of conditions.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration.
  • Contribute to technical strategy, define best practices, and help guide the evolution of the navigation and sensing stack as systems scale and mature.
Qualifications:
  • PhD in Computer Science or a related field, or a Master's degree with a minimum of 2+ years of industry experience.
  • Strong programming skills in C++ and Python, with experience developing software for real physical systems.
  • Experience developing planning or perception systems for unmanned systems.
Preferred Skills:
  • Familiarity with motion/path planning techniques such as RRT*, A*, or MPC-based trajectory optimization
  • Experience applying radar, computer vision, or deep learning for perception on resource-constrained edge hardware
  • Background in UAV reliability, redundancy, and autonomous flight considerations
  • Experience with ROS2, PX4, MAVSDK, and/or similar robotics middleware
  • Familiarity with safety-critical or certifiable software practices a plus

If you're interested in this role and in joining BRINC, we hope you'll apply. We'd love to review your application and get to know more about you!

Benefits and perks listed below may vary based on the nature of your employment with BRINC and/or the country within which you work

  • Comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans for our employees and their families
  • 401K plan
  • Maternity and paternity leave
  • Flexible Time Off (Exempt) / Paid time off (Non-Exempt)
  • Flexible work environment
  • Orca pass (for those in Puget Sound)
  • Free parking (Seattle office)
  • Free snacks, drinks and espresso (Seattle office)

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Brinc Drones Inc

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Autonomy Engineer, Navigation jobs: