Senior Navigation Engineer

Who we are

Helsing develops artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities to protect and defend democracies. We are growing our US operations, cultivating an ambitious and committed team of mission-driven professionals to apply their skills to solve challenging problems. 

The role

Autonomous UAS depend on precise, resilient Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) to execute their missions. In the modern battlefield, GNSS is one of the most heavily contested signals in the electromagnetic spectrum, subject to sophisticated jamming and spoofing threats. As a GNSS and Navigation Engineer, you will own one of the most mission-critical capabilities for our long-range uncrewed platforms: their ability to know where they are and where they are going, even when the adversary is doing everything possible to deny that knowledge. 

You will design, develop, and integrate assured PNT solutions for UAS, with a focus on anti-jam and anti-spoof architectures. You will own GNSS performance end-to-end, from antenna selection (including CRPAs) through receiver integration (SAASM, M-Code) to sensor fusion with inertial and vision-based navigation systems. You make pragmatic decisions on when to integrate available solutions and when to develop new capabilities that ensure our platforms remain effective in GNSS-degraded and denied environments. 

Working closely with avionics, flight controls, RF, and systems engineering teams, you will be the key to ensuring our long-range UAS can navigate reliably, accurately, and securely through the most contested environments. 

The day-to-day

• Design and develop resilient GNSS and navigation architectures for UAS, including multi-constellation, multi-frequency receivers and anti-jam/anti-spoof solutions

• Integrate Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPAs) with adaptive null-steering and beamforming techniques to mitigate jamming threats 
  

• Integrate and operate SAASM GPS modules and M-Code receivers, managing the associated key handling, certification, and security accreditation processes

• Design tightly- and loosely-coupled GNSS/INS sensor fusion algorithms to maintain navigation performance during GNSS outages

• Develop and validate alternative navigation techniques (vision-aided, terrain-relative, celestial, signals-of-opportunity) to ensure mission continuity in GNSS-denied environments

• Conduct PNT performance analysis, including error budgets, jamming/spoofing vulnerability assessments, and operational range modeling

• Test, validate, and integrate GNSS hardware and navigation software into newly developed and existing UAS products, working against customer and internal requirements

• Manage relationships with US government agencies responsible for SAASM/M-Code key distribution and certification (e.g., GPS Directorate, relevant COMSEC authorities)

• Stay on top of the rapidly evolving threat landscape, identifying emerging jamming/spoofing techniques and matching countermeasures

• Collaborate with external partners and access specialized test ranges and equipment (anechoic chambers, GNSS simulators, live-sky jamming environments)

• Shape discussions inside the company as the go-to expert on assured PNT and serve as a technical authority for US customer engagements  

You should apply if you

• Hold a degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Navigation, Geomatics, or a related field

• Have several years of experience designing, integrating, or deploying GNSS and inertial navigation systems for airborne platforms

• Have hands-on experience with Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPAs) and adaptive antenna processing for anti-jam applications

• Have direct experience integrating SAASM GPS modules and/or M-Code receivers, including the associated key management, certification, and security processes

• Possess deep knowledge of GNSS signal structures (GPS, Galileo, others), receiver architectures, and the threats facing them in contested environments

• Understand inertial sensors (IMUs) and have experience with GNSS/INS sensor fusion, Kalman filtering, and related estimation techniques

• Demonstrate strong understanding of how navigation systems perform under real-world conditions and where their limitations lie

• Have experience conducting jamming and spoofing assessments, ideally using GNSS simulators and live-sky test environments

• Have strong communication skills and enjoy working with internal stakeholders and external partners, including US government agencies and defense contractors

• Are pragmatic and validate calculated expectations in the real world to be satisfied

• Are able to obtain a US security clearance (Secret or above) and prior experience with COMSEC handling. 

Note: We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarized in a few bullet points. 

Nice to Have

• Experience with specific CRPA implementations and adaptive antenna electronics (AAE) from vendors such as Mayflower, BAE, Raytheon, or Collins

• Familiarity with M-Code receiver platforms and the MGUE (Military GPS User Equipment) program

• Hands-on experience developing or tuning Kalman filters for tightly-coupled GNSS/INS systems

• Knowledge of alternative PNT sources, including vision-based navigation, terrain-relative navigation, magnetic navigation, or signals-of-opportunity

• Experience with GNSS simulators (Spirent, Skydel, CAST) and RF record-and-playback systems

• Familiarity with Electronic Warfare (EW) techniques as they apply to PNT, including detection and characterization of jamming/spoofing

• Experience with NATO STANAG navigation standards and interoperability requirements

• Active US security clearance (Secret or above) and prior experience with COMSEC handling

• Familiarity with ITAR/EAR export control regulations as they apply to GNSS and navigation equipment

• Experience working on long-endurance or long-range UAS programs in the defense industry 

Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields 

• Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns

• The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world

• Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defense industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward

• In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts

• We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practice responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about

What we offer

• A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking

• A generous compensation and benefits package (in addition to base salary) that includes, but may not be limited to, insurance coverage (medical and travel), flexible paid time off, paid holidays, and remote and/or hybrid work available depending on position. All compensation and benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying plans or programs, as applicable and as may be amended, terminated or superseded from time to time.

• Growth toward global roles in our Finance organization

The base salary offered to the successful candidate will be determined by a variety of factors including relevant experience, qualifications, education, skill level, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.   

Helsing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.  Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.