Flight Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer

Summary

Job Summary

The Bio-Inspired Perception and Robotics Laboratory (BPRL) is seeking a Flight Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer. The successful candidate will design and implement the adaptive guidance and navigation layers for novel bio-inspired for autonomous aerial platforms. Working closely with researchers developing adaptive focal plane imaging, event-based vision, and mmWave radar. The candidate will be responsible for integrating heterogeneous perception systems with inner loop flight controllers to enable robust flight behaviors.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Bio-Inspired Perception and Robotics Laboratory (BPRL) is a facility in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Robotics Graduate Program at the University of Colorado, Boulder that conducts research and development in the areas of field robotics and biologically inspired robotics. We seek to distill the fundamental sensing, processing and feedback principles that govern robust behavior in organisms to enable new classes of robotic systems with improved agility, locomotion and autonomy.

Responsibilities

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

The successful candidate will design adaptive guidance and navigation algorithms for autonomous aerial vehicles and develop perception-driven guidance laws that integrate event-based vision, adaptive focal plane imaging, and mmWave radar measurements. The candidate will also design multi-sensor fusion and state estimation algorithms for dynamic tracking and autonomous pursuit, implement and evaluate algorithms within ROS2, PX4/ArduPilot and embedded onboard computing platforms, conduct simulation studies, hardware integration, and autonomous flight experiments using motion capture systems and outdoor flight testing, and analyze flight data and iteratively improve autonomous guidance performance in representative pursuit, interception, and degraded-environment scenarios.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary range for this appointment will be $70,000 - $80,000.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be resourceful. Be game-changing. Be Boulder.

What We Require

PhD in engineering, robotics, or computer science.

What You Will Need

The candidate will need a strong background in robotics, estimation, guidance, navigation, and control, experience with sensor fusion and state estimation techniques (Extended Kalman Filters, Error-State Kalman Filters, factor graph optimization, or similar), and experience integrating vision systems, event cameras, LiDAR, radar, or other advanced perception sensors on robotic platforms. Ideally the candidate has strong programming skills in C++ and Python, experience with ROS2, PX4.

Special Instructions

To Apply, Please Submit The Following Materials

• Resume/CV.
• Cover Letter.
• (Optional) Transcripts/Proof of Degree: If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources Department using an approved online vendor. However, if your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit an English-translated version (if applicable) as an Optional document.

During the application process, you will be asked to provide the name and email address for one reference, from whom we will request a letter of recommendation immediately following the submission of your completed application.

Please apply by October 15, 2026 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs .

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.