Engineering · Cobra · Vanguard
Senior Guidance, Navigation and Control Engineer
Own guidance, navigation and control for vertical launch aircraft and interceptors, from model to flight test.
About Vaubren
Vaubren is a European defence technology company developing aircraft, command software, sensing and electronic warfare as one integrated system, with a person in command of every use of force. Our engineering team is based in Bulgaria, inside the European Union and NATO.
The role
You will own the algorithms that keep Vaubren’s aircraft stable, on course and on target, through vertical launch, transition and wing-borne flight. The hard problems are intercepting small, agile drones and navigating reliably when satellite positioning is jammed or spoofed. You will take your work from first principles through simulation and hardware-in-the-loop tests to the autopilot and into flight test, with a person accountable for every engagement.
Why this role
- Join early and own the flight-critical core of two aircraft programmes, not a slice of it
- Your designs reach the aircraft quickly, and you are at the test site when they fly
- Navigation that holds up under jamming is one of the problems that matters most for European defence today, and you will work on it from first principles
What you will do
- Own flight control laws for vertical launch, transition and wing-borne flight, from dynamics model to a tuned controller on the aircraft
- Develop terminal guidance for intercepting fast, manoeuvring aerial targets, always within the authority and limits a person sets
- Build navigation that fuses inertial, visual, terrain and radio sources and keeps working when satellite positioning is denied or spoofed
- Build six-degree-of-freedom models and Monte Carlo simulations that the whole team trusts
- Close the gap between simulation and flight through system identification and flight data analysis
- Write flight code with the software team and own its verification on the bench and in hardware-in-the-loop tests
- Plan flight test points, be there when they fly and turn the data into the next iteration
What you bring
- Typically 6+ years designing guidance, navigation or control for air vehicles, missiles or robots that operated in the real world
- Deep grounding in classical and modern control, estimation and filtering, such as extended or error-state Kalman filters
- Strong MATLAB and Simulink, plus production-quality C++ or Python
- Experience with six-degree-of-freedom simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing
- A record of taking an algorithm from paper to flight test and owning the result
- A degree in aerospace, control, electrical or mechanical engineering, or equivalent experience
If you meet most of these points but not all, we still encourage you to apply.
Nice to have
- Interceptor, missile or pursuit guidance, such as proportional navigation and its variants
- Visual, terrain-relative or other alternative navigation for denied environments
- Contributions inside PX4 or ArduPilot
- Experience with vertical take-off and transition aircraft
Working at Vaubren
- A full-time role in Bulgaria, inside the European Union and NATO
- Work across the whole system, from design review to field test
- Small teams with real ownership of their work
- Relocation discussed with each candidate
- Responsibilities, compensation and start date agreed in writing
How we hire
- 01
Application
Apply for a role or send an open application. Every application is reviewed by the team that is hiring.
- 02
First conversation
A call about your experience, the role and what you are looking for.
- 03
Technical interviews
A discussion of your past work and a practical problem drawn from the role.
- 04
Meet the team
Meet the people you would work with, in person in Bulgaria where possible.
- 05
Offer
Responsibilities, compensation and start date, agreed in writing.
Security and eligibility
Some roles involve work that is subject to security vetting and export control. Where a role requires it, we explain the process early, and an offer may depend on eligibility for national security clearance. You do not need a clearance to apply.
Vaubren is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from everyone with the skills for the role, whatever their background. If you need an adjustment during the hiring process, tell us and we will make it.