Position Title: GNC Engineer

Location: Irvine, CA

Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Summary

We are seeking a GNC UAV engineer to support the development, testing, and validation of unmanned aircraft systems. This role spans both real world flight testing and high-fidelity simulation, integrating aircraft modeling, autopilot tuning, dynamic maneuver execution, and model validation. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable working hands on in field test environments and building detailed aircraft simulations used for performance analysis, control system development, and mission planning

Required Duties and Responsibilities:

• Configure and tune autopilot systems to ensure stable and reliable flight.
• Develop, modify, and maintain flight controller control logic, supporting new payload capabilities, vehicle behavior updates, and mission-specific requirements while ensuring system stability, robustness and compliance with flight safety standards.
• Plan and execute autonomous waypoint missions including climbs, descents, banks, and straight and level segments.
• Execute flight simulation and bench-level validation prior to flight testing, using software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), or other environments to verify control logic, payload interactions, and system behavior before live operations.
• Provide on-site support for flight test operations, working closely with the flight test team during ground and flight events to troubleshoot issues, monitor system performance, and rapidly assess anomalies or unexpected behavior.
• Analyze post-flight logs and test data, identifying performance trends, control issues, integration defects, and opportunities for system improvement; document findings and feed results back into design and software updates.

Required Skills/Qualifications:

• 3+ years of industry experience with UAVs or related fields.
• Experience developing and tuning GNC algorithms (PID, MPC, EKF/UKF for state estimation)
• Hands-on experience with UAVs and autopilot systems (PX4, Ardupilot)
• Proficiency with mission planning and data analysis tools.
• Familiarity developing 6 DOF aircraft models in MATLAB, Simulink, JSBSim, or similar tools.
• Familiarity with telemetry systems for airborne systems.
• Proven ability to conduct software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and real-world tests

Preferred Skills/Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Aerospace or related field.
• Familiarity and working knowledge of integrating navigation systems (GPS, IMU, INS, VIO, etc.) into an airborne system
• Proficiency with software development workflows (Git, CI/CD).
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• Knowledge / Experience with GNC specific to Group 1 - 2 UAVs.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or related fields.
• Master's degree is a plus.

Clearance Level Required: None.

Export Control / ITAR Requirement: This position requires access to information and technology subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms

Work Authorization Requirement:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for current or future employment visa sponsorship.

Travel Required: Less Than 10%.

Working Conditions:

The diversity of work conditions may range from an environment where there is little or no physical discomfort, such as a general office environment, to warehouse and other facilities.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Must have the ability to stoop, stand, climb, occasionally lift a minimum of 25 lbs.
• Involves movement between departments, floors, and worksites to facilitate work.

Salary: $115,000 - $160,000 annually

Salary depends on relevant work experience, education, training, essential skills, and/or other factors such as specialized or high-demand professions. In addition to the annual salary, the position will be eligible for an annual bonus. The pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of salary or annual bonus.

Benefits:

Our benefits are DZYNE'ed for your overall health and financial wellness. DZYNE offers a comprehensive healthcare benefits package. Base dental, vision, life, accident, disability, and other core benefits are fully covered by DZYNE. DZYNE provides paid time off and paid holidays. Additionally, DZYNE offers a 401 (k) plan with an employer match and immediate vesting.

Some Final Notes

The description gives you a sense of what the position involves but is not an exhaustive list. We are a growing and evolving team, which means your responsibilities may shift or expand overtime as new opportunities arise. Flexibility and curiosity are part of what makes our work exciting!

#LI-ONSITE

Pay Range: $115,000 - $160,000 per year