Lead Rover Navigation and Perception Engineer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Supervise a small group of engineers responsible for the design, characterization, testing, verification, and validation of localization and perception systems for extraterrestrial rovers.

• Take a navigation and perception solution from initial design to operational deployment on Astrolab’s CLV-1 lunar rover.

• Collaborate closely with the software team to implement and test flight software for navigation, perception, and obstacle avoidance.

• Ensure that the navigation and perception solutions for extraterrestrial rovers are robust, upgradable during missions, and practical.

• Plan, oversee, and carry out testing of navigation and perception systems utilizing real sensors and flight computers in a test vehicle under simulated lunar conditions.

• Guarantee that navigation and perception systems comply with performance standards and NASA human-rated spacecraft system requirements.

• Design, tune, analyze, and characterize navigation and perception systems for Astrolab’s extraterrestrial rovers.

• Create test campaigns in simulated and analog lunar environments, collaborating with the team for execution.

• Engage in hands-on technical work as part of the rover guidance, navigation, and control team.

• Work in close partnership with the flight software team to implement and test algorithms for rover navigation and perception.

• Some travel may be necessary.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Over 10 years of experience in designing, developing, and testing navigation, localization, and perception systems for rovers, autonomous vehicles, GPS-denied vehicle navigation systems, or similar robotic platforms.

• Proficiency in practical sensor fusion and Kalman filtering techniques for wheeled vehicle navigation and perception.

• Experience utilizing sensors with various modalities to devise robust navigation and perception solutions, including IMU, lidar, radar, and star trackers.

• Background in designing, tuning, developing, analyzing, characterizing, verifying, and validating navigation and perception solutions for wheeled vehicles.

• Experience in developing, testing, and characterizing algorithms for obstacle detection and avoidance in wheeled vehicles.

• Knowledge of real-world challenges affecting navigation, localization, and perception system design and performance, such as invalid data, dropped packets, data latencies, and unclear images.

• Experience supporting a navigation/localization system throughout its entire lifecycle, from initial design to live vehicle operations.

• Proficient in C++ and Python programming.

• Capability to meet performance standards and NASA human-rated spacecraft system requirements.

🏝️ Benefits

• Become part of a team of top-tier engineers laying the groundwork for planetary surface exploration.

• Equity ownership in the company.

• Extensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support.

• 401(k) plan with company matching.

• Flexible paid time off (PTO) and parental leave.

• Reimbursement for home office setup.

• Weekly lunch stipend, along with complimentary snacks and beverages provided on-site.

• Monthly social hour on-site featuring food and drinks.