Staff Autonomy Engineer - Control Management Lead

Are you passionate about shaping the future of humanity's presence in space? Lunar Outpost, a trailblazer in space robotics, invites you to join our team! Lunar Outpost is dedicated to creating a sustainable presence in space, while also driving positive impacts here on Earth. We are seeking a talented, experienced Control Management Team Lead  

As the lead of our Control Management Team, you will play a pivotal role in the development of cutting-edge autonomous navigation and control systems for our lunar rovers. Working at the intersection of autonomy, robotics, and space exploration, you will design, develop, and implement sophisticated controls management solutions that enable our rovers to operate independently on the lunar surface. Your work will not only contribute to groundbreaking missions but also to technologies that have the potential to benefit humanity on Earth. Collaborating with cross-disciplinary engineering teams, you'll bring your expertise to solve complex challenges and drive the innovation needed to explore new frontiers in space. 

• Key Responsibilities: 

  • Lead the design and development of autonomous navigation, control systems, and decision-making algorithms for lunar rovers. 

  • Architect vehicle management software that ensures appropriate control actions are executed, recovers from fault states, and prevents hazardous operations.  

  • Develop and implement robust software capable of enabling autonomous operations in challenging lunar environments. 

  • Collaborate with systems, mechanical, electrical, and thermal engineering teams to integrate and optimize autonomy software with rover hardware. 

  • Utilize simulation and machine learning techniques to improve autonomous system performance and reliability under various lunar conditions. 

  • Conduct field tests and simulations to validate and refile algorithms and software systems. 

  • Ensure software systems adhere to industry standards for safety, reliability, and performance in space exploration contexts. 

  • Mentor junior engineers and promote a culture of technical excellence and innovation within the team. 

  • Stay at the forefront of autonomy and robotics technology, incorporating the latest advancements into our projects.

   

  Required Qualifications: 

  • Experience in research and development of perception and localization in unstructured environments 

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Robotic Engineering, or related field 

  • A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in developing autonomy software for autonomous vehicles, with a proven track record in navigation, perception, and/or control systems 

  • Expertise in programming languages such as C++, Python, and familiarity with ROS (Robot Operating System) 

  • Self-motivated, focused, and driven to meet critical deadlines 

  • Excellent organization and time management skills 

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills 

  • U.S. Person

   

   Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Master’s or Ph.D. in field relevant to autonomy, robotics, or AI, with research or projects directly applicable to autonomous navigation or robotics. 

  • Experience with autonomous systems in space, or other extreme, unstructured, environments. 

  • Published work in relevant field, such as autonomy algorithms, robotics, or AI applications in autonomous vehicles 

  • Demonstrated ability to work in multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively across different engineering domains

  • As the lead of our Control Management Team, you will play a pivotal role in the development of cutting-edge autonomous navigation and control systems for our lunar rovers. Working at the intersection of autonomy, robotics, and space exploration, you will design, develop, and implement sophisticated controls management solutions that enable our rovers to operate independently on the lunar surface. Your work will not only contribute to groundbreaking missions but also to technologies that have the potential to benefit humanity on Earth. Collaborating with cross-disciplinary engineering teams, you'll bring your expertise to solve complex challenges and drive the innovation needed to explore new frontiers in space.

Any offer of employment for this position is conditional upon Lunar Outpost receiving the LTVS Phase II contract from NASA. If the contract is not awarded to Lunar Outpost, this offer will be considered null and void, without further obligation to Lunar Outpost.

Lunar Outpost is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against protected characteristics (gender, age, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, veteran status). We want all employees (including executives and HR) to treat others with respect and professionalism.

Location

Golden, Colorado

Department

GNC

Employment Type

Full-Time

Minimum Experience

Mid-level

Compensation

137k-180k