Navigation Engineer - Reliant (m/f/d)

At Quantum Systems, we develop cutting-edge unmanned aerial systems that redefine autonomous flight for defense and governmental applications. Our flagship platform, Reliant, combines long-endurance VTOL capabilities, advanced onboard AI, and resilient navigation technologies to operate reliably in the world's most demanding environments - including GNSS-denied and electronically contested scenarios.

As a Navigation Engineer (m/f/d), you will play a key role in developing the navigation and state estimation capabilities that enable Reliant to fly safely, precisely, and autonomously. Working alongside experts in flight control, embedded software, AI, and systems engineering, you will design and optimize advanced navigation algorithms that directly contribute to mission success. From concept development and simulation to flight testing and operational deployment, you will help shape the next generation of resilient autonomous flight technologies.

What is your Day to Day Mission:

• Design, develop, and validate advanced GNSS/INS navigation algorithms, including state estimation, sensor fusion, and fault detection to enable reliable autonomous flight in contested and GNSS-denied environments.
• Analyze flight test and operational data to identify performance bottlenecks, conduct root-cause analysis, and implement robust algorithmic improvements for mission-critical navigation systems.
• Develop and continuously improve navigation capabilities by enhancing sensor fusion, localization, and redundancy strategies for complex operational scenarios.
• Collaborate closely with Flight Control, Embedded Software, AI, Systems Engineering, and Test teams to integrate navigation solutions across the Reliant UAS platform.
• Participate throughout the complete development lifecycle—from system architecture and algorithm design to simulation, hardware integration, flight testing, and operational deployment.
• Characterize, calibrate, and validate navigation sensors to maximize positioning accuracy, robustness, and system resilience.
• Contribute to the architecture and evolution of the navigation software stack by driving technical decisions, participating in design reviews, and maintaining high software quality standards.
• Support verification and validation activities, including simulation campaigns, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, flight campaigns, and post-flight performance analysis.
• Mentor team members through technical discussions, code reviews, and knowledge sharing while promoting engineering best practices.

What you bring to the team:

• M.Sc. or higher in Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• Several years of professional experience developing navigation, localization, or sensor fusion solutions for autonomous systems, robotics, or UAVs.
• Strong expertise in GNSS/INS integration, state estimation, and nonlinear filtering techniques (e.g., Extended Kalman Filters, Unscented Kalman Filters, Factor Graph Optimization, or SLAM).
• Deep understanding of inertial navigation, sensor fusion, and autonomous navigation in degraded or GNSS-denied environments.
• Solid knowledge of fixed-wing and VTOL flight dynamics, flight mechanics, and autonomous flight systems.
• Strong programming skills in C++ and Python; experience with MATLAB/Simulink is required. Experience with Rust is a plus.
• Experience analyzing flight data and validating navigation performance through simulation and real-world flight testing.
• Familiarity with embedded Linux environments, Git, and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience with simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), or flight testing is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to independently drive technical decisions in complex multidisciplinary projects.
• Exce