Guidance Navigation and Controls (GNC) Engineer III - Contract

ASI is expanding its teams to support its current ramp-up across development work, customer projects, and product deployments. This is a full-time W-2 contract position. The selected candidate will interview with ASI and work as an integrated member of the ASI team. W-2 employment, payroll, and benefits will be administered through one of ASI's staffing partners. Development phases of this nature typically span up to project completion (typically 2-4 years), though scope and duration are driven by business needs.JOB SUMMARYThe Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer III develops, integrates, and validates algorithms that enable ASI's autonomous agricultural equipment to navigate fields, follow planned routes, maintain stable vehicle control, and complete assigned operations safely and accurately. This role works with vehicle dynamics, localization, state estimation, trajectory planning, path tracking, and feedback-control systems to support reliable autonomous operation in agricultural environments.As a Level III engineer within ASI's five-level engineering structure, this position independently contributes to moderately complex GNC features and subsystem improvements while receiving guidance on broader architectural and system-level decisions. The role collaborates with perception, embedded software, systems, test, and field operations teams to improve autonomous equipment performance across changing terrain, vegetation, field conditions, weather, payloads, and agricultural workflows.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESDevelop, implement, integrate, and validate guidance, navigation, and control algorithms for autonomous agricultural equipmentContribute to vehicle motion-control capabilities involving steering, propulsion, braking, speed control, path tracking, and trajectory followingDevelop and tune feedback-control algorithms to improve vehicle stability, accuracy, responsiveness, and operational performanceSupport navigation capabilities that allow autonomous equipment to move safely and efficiently through fields, headlands, access roads, and defined work areasDevelop and improve localization and state-estimation solutions using GPS/GNSS, RTK positioning, inertial sensors, encoders, odometry, and vehicle feedbackContribute to trajectory-generation, route-planning, and path-planning solutions for agricultural operationsSupport capabilities involving field coverage, row following, headland turns, pass planning, overlap management, and work-area completionSupport coordination between vehicle motion, attached implements, perception outputs, and task-planning softwareOwn defined GNC features and moderately complex assignments from development through integration, testing, and field validationDevelop and refine vehicle-dynamics and system-behavior models to support controller design, simulation, and performance analysisTune control parameters on physical equipment across varying terrain, speed, payload, soil, traction, and operating conditionsEvaluate GNC performance using simulation, recorded-data replay, software-in-the-loop testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and full-vehicle field testingDevelop measurable performance criteria for assigned features, including path accuracy, tracking error, localization accuracy, stability, response time, and task completionAnalyze vehicle logs and field data to identify control limitations, localization errors, unstable behavior, and operational edge casesDevelop tools and scripts for simulation, data processing, visualization, automated testing, controller tuning, and performance analysisTroubleshoot issues involving vehicle control, localization, sensor timing, coordinate transformations, communication interfaces, and system integrationCollaborate with perception engineers to ensure terrain, obstacle, vegetation, and boundary information supports safe navigation and control decisionsWork with embedded software engineers to integrate GNC algorithms into real-time vehicle-control and computing systemsPartner with test engineers and field testers to develop procedures, reproduce issues, and validate corrective actionsParticipate in design reviews, code reviews, sprint planning, and technical investigationsDocument algorithms, mathematical models, software interfaces, assumptions, test results, technical decisions, and known system limitationsSupport field deployments, customer demonstrations, and troubleshooting activities as requiredESSENTIAL EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE, JOB SKILLSBachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical fieldTypically five or more years of experience developing controls, navigation, robotics, vehicle-dynamics, state-estimation, or autonomous-system softwareStrong understanding of classical and modern control theory, including feedback control, PID control, system dynamics, and stabilityExperience developing and tuning control algorithms on physical robotic, automotive, agricultural, aerospace, industrial, or heavy-equipment systemsExperience with localization, navigation, trajectory generation, path tracking, route planning, or state estimationProficiency in C++, Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or comparable engineering and software-development toolsExperience developing software in Linux-based environmentsFamiliarity with ROS, ROS2, or comparable robotics middlewareUnderstanding of coordinate systems, transformations, vehicle kinematics, and vehicle dynamicsExperience using simulation, recorded data, and physical testing to evaluate algorithm and system performanceExperience developing production-quality software using version control, peer review, automated testing, and continuous integration practicesAbility to analyze complex system behavior and troubleshoot software, sensor, vehicle, and system-integration issuesStrong mathematical, analytical, debugging, and technical problem-solving skillsStrong written and verbal communication skillsAbility to work effectively with cross-functional engineering and field teamsPREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSMaster's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Controls, or a related disciplineExperience developing GNC systems for autonomous agricultural equipment, off-road vehicles, heavy machinery, or mobile robotsFamiliarity with agricultural operations such as planting, spraying, tillage, harvesting, mowing, material application, or field preparationExperience with field coverage planning, row following, headland-turn planning, route optimization, or coordinated vehicle-and-implement controlExperience with model-based design, system identification, controller tuning, or vehicle-dynamics modelingExperience with Kalman filters, extended Kalman filters, particle filters, or other state-estimation methodsExperience with GNSS, RTK positioning, IMUs, encoders, odometry, and multi-sensor localizationFamiliarity with model predictive control, optimization-based control, trajectory optimization, or motion planningExperience integrating algorithms with vehicle-control units, embedded controllers, CAN networks, drive-by-wire systems, or agricultural equipment interfacesExperience with MATLAB/Simulink, C++, Python, Gazebo, or similar simulation and development toolsExperience with software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and recorded-data replay testingFamiliarity with functional safety concepts and validation practices for autonomous or safety-critical systemsExperience validating control systems in dusty, high-vibration, uneven, outdoor, agricultural, or industrial environmentsAt Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI), we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all employees and applicants have equal opportunities. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic. ASI complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding nondiscrimination in employment and is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process. Your employment with ASI will be "at will," meaning that either you or ASI may terminate your employment at any time for any lawful reason, with or without cause or advance notice.

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