Aerospace (GNC) Engineer

Location: Chicago, IL (Onsite)

Ascend Engineering develops autonomy and flight software for next-generation unmanned aerial systems. Our work includes PX4 and ArduPilot development, navigation systems, perception integration, and autonomy software for UAV manufacturers, robotics companies, and defense programs.

We are looking for a Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer to help develop and deploy flight autonomy capabilities for UAV platforms, particularly in challenging or GPS-denied environments.

This role focuses on analyzing and tuning flight control systems, modifying estimation algorithms, and developing software that runs on onboard UAV computers. The role also involves hands-on work with hardware and flight testing, and therefore requires working onsite with our team in Chicago.

** Must have at least 2 years of work experience **

Responsibilities

• Analyze and tune multi-loop UAV control systems (rate, attitude, velocity, position)
• Diagnose vehicle performance using flight logs and real-world test data
• Modify and tune state estimation systems, including Extended Kalman Filters (EKF)
• Develop software for onboard UAV computers to control and interact with flight controllers
• Implement navigation solutions for GPS-denied or degraded environments
• Work with PX4 or ArduPilot flight stacks to modify behavior and integrate new capabilities
• Support airframe integration, sensor integration, and flight testing
• Develop and validate autonomy capabilities from simulation through flight test

Ideal Candidate

• Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Control Systems, or similar field
• Strong understanding of flight dynamics and control systems
• Experience tuning PID-based flight control systems
• Experience working with Extended Kalman Filters (EKF) or similar estimation systems
• Experience analyzing UAV flight logs and tuning vehicle performance
• Experience writing C++ or Python software for robotics or embedded systems
• Comfortable working with real hardware and flight testing

Bonus Experience

• Experience with PX4 or ArduPilot
• Experience with MATLAB / Simulink
• Experience with visual-inertial navigation, SLAM, or sensor fusion
• Experience with ROS / ROS2
• Experience modifying UAV airframes or integrating sensors