GNC Senior Software Engineer - Sensors

GNC Senior Software Engineer - Sensors at Lunar Outpost

We are seeking an experienced GNC Senior Software Engineer - Sensors to lead our Sensor Team and develop autonomous navigation and control systems for lunar rovers. You will design, develop, and implement sensing solutions that enable the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) to operate independently on the lunar surface, contributing to missions that push human presence in space while benefiting Earth technologies.

You will collaborate cross‑disciplinarily and work in a fast‑paced startup environment.

• Serve as the technical lead for the Sensor team, enabling autonomous operations in challenging lunar environments.
• Architect and own the sensing stack, from component selection and interface design to data processing pipelines and sensor fusion integration.
• Lead the integration of sensor data into autonomous systems, including interfacing with localization, mapping, and planning subsystems.
• Collaborate with systems, mechanical, electrical, and thermal engineering teams to integrate and optimize sensing architectures with rover hardware.
• Evaluate sensor performance in simulation and field tests; identify and resolve hardware/software integration issues.
• Define and enforce sensor hardware mounting standards, interfacing, and environmental constraints.
• Own vendor relationships, component procurement, and hardware bring up.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote a culture of technical excellence and innovation.

• Bachelor’s or higher in Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Aerospace, or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in sensor development and integration for autonomous or robotic systems.
• Demonstrated experience with one or more sensing modalities: stereo/mono cameras, LiDAR, radar, IMUs, encoders, etc.
• Expertise in low‑level data handling, sensor drivers, and middleware (ROS, cFS, etc.).
• Strong understanding of time synchronization, coordinate transformations, and calibration methods.
• Self‑motivated, focused, and driven to meet critical deadlines.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• U.S. Person.

• Master’s or Ph.D. field relevant to sensing or perception, with research or projects directly applicable to autonomous navigation or robotics.
• Familiarity with spaceflight or safety‑critical sensor integration practices, in extreme, unstructured environments (NASA Class A, DO‑160, MIL‑STD‑810).
• Experience designing or deploying sensor fusion algorithms (e.g., EKF, EUF, factor graphs).
• Background in real‑time perception or SLAM systems on embedded hardware.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively across different engineering domains.

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.