Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Advanced Navigation Huntsville, Alabama, United States

About this position

Advanced Navigation is the world’s most determined innovator in AI robotics and navigation technologies across land, air, sea and space applications.Founded on a culture of research and discovery, Advanced Navigation's mission is to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution. Fields of expertise include artificial intelligence, underwater sonar, GNSS, radio frequency systems, inertial sensors, robotics, quantum sensors and photonics.

Today, Advanced Navigation is a supplier to some of the world's largest companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors. Discover it for yourself:

Overview of Position:

The Senior Forward Deployed Engineer specializing in Geospatial Navigation plays a critical, high-impact role in driving strategic commercial expansion by leveraging advanced technical expertise to solve complex customer requirements, architect end-to-end navigation solutions, and articulate the business value of Advanced Navigation's product portfolio. Serving as a technical authority and strategic advisor to enterprise and defense accounts, this role bridges sophisticated navigation technologies with commercial objectives—leading high-stakes Proofs of Concept (PoCs), driving product integrations, and mentoring junior engineering personnel.

Essential Functions:

• Lead high-level technical consultations with strategic enterprise prospects and key defense clients to evaluate complex geospatial navigation, positioning, and timing requirements.
• Architect and design sophisticated, multi-sensor hardware and software solution proposals utilizing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), and Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOG).
• Deliver authoritative technical presentations, executive briefings, and live product demonstrations that showcase complex system capabilities to senior engineering leaders and C-suite decision-makers.
• Spearhead the technical design, scoping, field execution, and validation of high-priority Proof of Concept (PoC) projects in demanding real-world environments.
• Serve as a primary technical liaison between strategic clients, Product Management, and R&D engineering teams to translate market feedback into prioritized product roadmap enhancements.
• Partner with senior sales account executives to develop winning deal strategies, address complex technical objections, and accelerate enterprise sales cycles.
• Evaluate emerging industry trends, competitor architectures, and evolving trade regulations to maintain competitive positioning across defense, aerospace, robotics, and maritime sectors.
• Mentoring & Enablement: Provide technical mentorship, domain training, and solution guidance to sales account executives and junior pre-sales team members.
• Travel as required (up to 7525–30%) to strategic client facilities, field testing sites, integration trials, or industry expos for in-person presentations and integration leadership.
• Ensure strict adherence to corporate Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) standards during all field trials and customer demonstrations.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Individual Contributor & Technical Lead: Has no direct supervisory responsibilities; serves as a senior technical lead, providing domain expertise, solution architecture guidance, and informal mentorship to junior pre-salesforward Deployed engineers and commercial team members.

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (e.g., Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Geomatics, Systems Engineering, or Robotics) or a related technical field.
• Experience: 5+ years of progressive experience in technical pre-sales, solution architecture, or systems engineering within a complex high-tech hardware, software, or defense environment.
• Domain Expertise: Advanced technical knowledge of GNSS, INS, sensor fusion, position-velocity-orientation algorithms, and complex system integrations.
• Export & Travel Compliance: Must be willing and able to travel nationally and internationally up to 75%. Must be a "U.S. Person" (U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15) and EAR (15 CFR §772.1) due to handling defense technologies and trade-controlled technical data.
• Communication & Technical Mastery: Demonstrated track record of presenting complex technical solutions to C-level executives and technical review boards. Ability to analyze kinematic data, interpret complex engineering specs, and perform advanced mathematical calculations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced Education: Master’s Degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Industry Focus: Prior experience supporting tier-1 accounts in defense, aerospace, subsea/maritime, autonomous vehicles, or robotics market segments.
• Software & Coding Proficiency: Hands‑on experience with MATLAB, Python, C/C++, or ROS for data processing and simulation; experience working with SDKs, APIs, GUIs, and Command Line Interfaces (CLIs).
• CRM & Tools: Advanced proficiency with integrated sales and engineering tools, such as Salesforce CRM, JIRA, and CAD viewers.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities :

• Advanced Sensor Architecture: In‑depth technical mastery of GNSS, INS, Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOG), MEMS sensors, and Kalman filtering principles.
• Strategic Solution Design: Proven capability to evaluate intricate customer specifications, design high‑reliability Proof of Concept architectures, and establish objective success criteria.
• Executive Communication & Influence: Superior executive‑level communication, whiteboard delivery, and negotiation skills to build credibility with senior engineering leaders.
• Cross‑Functional Leadership: Exceptional collaborative skills to drive alignment between Sales, Product Engineering, Marketing, and Customer Support teams.
• Autonomous Execution: Strong self‑management skills with the ability to lead multiple complex pre‑sales engagements simultaneously under tight deadlines.

Physical Demands:

• Communication & Presentation: Must be able to frequently communicate verbally and in writing with customers, vendors, and internal teams; must be able to deliver technical presentations and engage in whiteboard discussions.
• Stationary Position & Movement: Regularly operates computer systems, office equipment, and diagnostic units. Required to sit, stand, or move about facilities and outdoor field test sites during client presentations and technical demonstrations.
• Lifting & Handling: Must be able to occasionally lift, transport, and set up field testing equipment, demo units, or loaner hardware weighing up to 35–50 pounds.
• Operates in a hybrid environment including corporate office settings, customer sites, and outdoor field testing environments.
• Requires routine navigation of secure facilities subject to strict U.S. export control (ITAR/EAR) compliance regulations.
• Involves occasional exposure to outdoor field conditions, marine environments, or testing laboratories subject to standard safety protocols.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options to support you and your family's well‑being.
• Retirement Planning: Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a competitive company matching contribution up to 7%.
• Continuous Learning: Professional development allowance and budget allocations to support continuous security certifications, licensing, and education.
• Work‑Life Balance: Generous paid time off (PTO), sick leave, and paid company holidays to ensure you rest and recharge.

EEO Statement:

Advanced Navigation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Reasonable Accommodation:

It is Advanced Navigations business philosophy and practice to provide reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities.

Disclaimer:

The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Other duties may be assigned.

This job description is not an employment agreement or contract and does not alter the at‑will status of the employment relationship. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.