Staff Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Engineer - Tactical Reconnaissance & Strike

Company: Anduril Industries
Location: Costa Mesa
Posted on: April 5, 2026

Job Description:

ABOUT THE TEAM Anduril’s Tactical Recon & Strike (TRS) is a division with two missions: 1) build highly capable autonomous drones, and 2) build solid rocket motors at scale. We transform products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt, and Altius from early concepts into fully operational capabilities by partnering closely with specialist engineering, operations, and production teams. Through our Anduril Rocket Motor Systems (RMS) team, we design and manufacture solid rocket motors using advanced materials, proprietary formulations, and high-volume production methods—delivering safe, reliable propulsion systems that support a wide range of mission requirements. TRS hires software engineers & hardware engineers, who are excited to build across a diverse and powerful portfolio—from autonomous aerial systems to high-performance solid rocket motors. Our teams contribute to highly capable autonomous robotics systems and propulsion products that operate reliably in the most demanding mission environment. The guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) team within TRS performs implementation, analysis, test, and validation for GNC software solutions supporting our autonomous drone fleet. Applications include attitude and position control, waypoint and terminal guidance engagements, and navigating contested environments including communication and GPS denied environments. ABOUT THE JOB This role will focus on delivering on guidance related projects and involve usage and direct implementation Guidance Navigation and Control work (GNC) and state-of-the-art Computer Vision (CV) at a Staff Levle. You will be involved at earliest stage product development, and help shape the capabilities set of the platform to achieve consistent mission success on a hyper-scalable platform developed on an aggressive timeline. We are a fast-growing company at the early stages of our growth, and you will be expected to own important deliverables with tight deadlines during your time on the team, which will have a significant impact on the company’s trajectory. Anduril fosters a diverse, collaborative, culture with plenty of opportunities for ownership and professional growth. This position will be on-site at our Costa Mesa, CA location. (relocation benefits provided.) WHAT YOU’LL DO Develop guidance algorithms (terminal and midcourse) and state estimators for group 1-3 UAV platforms Work closely with the flight software and computer vision team to define requirements, develop GNC software and validate functionality in simulation on aggressive timelines Review test data captured from the flight control system, subsystems, and other test instrumentation to verify vehicle performance, evaluate GNC algorithm/controller behavior, or debug incidents during testing or from fielded assets Develop models required to support functional evaluation of GNC software REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field with a focus on dynamic systems and control 10 years professional experience in a GNC role, preferably owning the design and architecture on missile or weapons systems Ability to own the development of tactical guidance algorithms and target state estimation while mentoring more junior level employees Expert level knowledge of state estimation and filtering - Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, complementary filters, etc. Experience in designing and developing modeling and simulation of linear and nonlinear dynamic systems and model linearization from scratch Experience coding in Matlab and Simulink C/C++ Proficiency Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Master’s Degree or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field with a focus on dynamic systems and control 15 years professional experience in a GNC role, preferably focusing on missile or weapons systems Experience with flight test and debugging GNC on UAV platforms Experience with GNC design and analysis for fixed wing, rotary wing aircraft and/or tactical missile systems Experience with seeker integration Experience in one or more of the following: VIO, TERCOM, gimbal mount models, detection and tracking, LWIR/EO sensors, RADAR, target motion models Experience with Simulink Embedded Coder US Salary Range $220,000 - $292,000 USD The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: Healthcare Benefits US Roles: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you. UK & AUS Roles: We cover full cost of medical insurance premiums for you and your dependents. IE Roles: We offer an annual contribution toward your private health insurance for you and your dependents. Additional Benefits Income Protection : Anduril covers life and disability insurance for all employees. Generous time off : Highly competitive PTO plans with a holiday hiatus in December. Caregiver & Wellness Leave is available to care for family members, bond with a new baby, or address your own medical needs. Family Planning & Parenting Support: Coverage for fertility treatments (e.g., IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carriers, along with resources to support you and your partner from planning to parenting. Mental Health Resources: Access free mental health resources 24/7, including therapy and life coaching. Additional work-life services, such as legal and financial support, are also available. Professional Development: Annual reimbursement for professional development Commuter Benefits: Company-funded commuter benefits based on your region. Relocation Assistance: Available depending on role eligibility. Retirement Savings Plan US Roles: Traditional 401(k), Roth, and after-tax (mega backdoor Roth) options. UK & IE Roles: Pension plan with employer match. AUS Roles: Superannuation plan. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information. To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind: No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates. Please always verify communications: Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address. Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com . Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links. What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com . Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts. Data Privacy To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/ .

Keywords: Anduril Industries, Placentia , Staff Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Engineer - Tactical Reconnaissance & Strike, Engineering , Costa Mesa, California