Autonomy Engineer (UAV)

Ascend Engineering

$100K — $120K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Strong fundamentals in robotics and autonomy (coordinate frame transformations, state estimation, PID control)
  • Proficient in C++ or C programming
  • Experience with PX4 or ArduPilot, or ability to quickly learn complex codebases
  • Hands-on experience flying and testing UAVs or robotic platforms
  • Familiarity with MAVLink and flight log analysis
  • Strong debugging skills in software-hardware interactions
  • Independent worker with project ownership capabilities

Responsibilities

  • Develop and modify PX4 or ArduPilot firmware for new autonomy features
  • Implement mission logic and flight behaviors, including MAVLink integrations
  • Integrate various sensors and payloads into UAV systems
  • Tune EKF/Kalman filters and PID loops for performance optimization
  • Conduct real-world flight testing to validate autonomous capabilities
  • Analyze flight logs to diagnose and troubleshoot issues
  • Debug UAV systems including firmware, networking, and hardware components
  • Collaborate with engineers for robust UAV design and documentation

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work on diverse client projects in a hands-on environment
  • Emphasis on practical field performance and real-world application
  • Access to cutting-edge technology in UAV platforms
  • Dynamic team collaboration fostering innovation
  • Encouragement for continuous learning and personal project development
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Robotics & Autonomy Engineer to develop, integrate, and maintain autonomy capabilities on UAV platforms built around the PX4 and ArduPilot stacks. This is a full-time role on our engineering team, working across a range of client projects - so the day-to-day emphasizes hands-on integration, debugging, and real-world flight validation more than ground-up design ownership. You'll work across the full UAV stack, from embedded flight software and state estimation through mission logic and system integration, with a strong focus on reliability and practical field performance.

This position suits someone who enjoys both software development and hands-on hardware work, and who's comfortable owning problems across shifting project contexts. The ideal candidate brings solid robotics and autonomy fundamentals - estimation, controls, and coordinate frames - and is eager to grow deep expertise in the PX4 autopilot stack, including VIO, map matching, and GPS-denied navigation.

MUST HAVE PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN US
Responsibilities
  • Develop and modify PX4 or ArduPilot firmware to support new autonomy features and system capabilities
  • Implement mission logic, flight behaviors, and MAVLink integrations
  • Integrate sensors, cameras, radios, and payloads into UAV platforms
  • Tune and analyze estimation and control performance (EKF/Kalman filtering, PID loops) across platforms
  • Conduct flight testing and validate autonomous behaviors in real-world conditions
  • Analyze flight logs and telemetry to diagnose and resolve issues
  • Debug problems across the UAV stack including firmware, networking, hardware, and companion computers
  • Collaborate with engineers to design robust UAV architectures and workflows
  • Document system behavior, debugging results, and design decisions
Required Qualifications
  • Strong robotics/autonomy fundamentals: coordinate frame transformations, state estimation (Kalman filtering / sensor fusion), and PID control analysis
  • Strong C++ or C programming skills
  • Experience with PX4 or ArduPilot - or demonstrated ability to ramp quickly on a complex embedded autopilot codebase
  • Experience flying and testing UAV or robotic platforms
  • Familiarity with MAVLink, flight logs, and autopilot configuration
  • Experience debugging complex software and hardware interactions
  • Ability to work independently and take ownership of engineering tasks across multiple projects
  • Strong problem-solving skills and practical engineering judgment
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with ROS/ROS 2 and Nav2
  • Experience with visual-inertial odometry (VIO), map matching, or GPS-denied navigation
  • Experience building or configuring drones from components
  • Familiarity with companion computers (Linux), MAVSDK, or ROS
  • Experience integrating sensors such as LiDAR, cameras, or GPS systems
  • Experience with embedded systems or hardware debugging
  • Experience analyzing flight logs and tuning flight controllers
  • Personal robotics, UAV, or embedded systems projects
What We Value
  • Engineers who build and experiment outside of work
  • Strong ownership and accountability for outcomes
  • Practical, hands-on problem solving
  • Clear communication and collaboration within small teams
  • Curiosity and continuous learning

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