Space Robotics Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Are you passionate about shaping the future of humanity's presence in space? Lunar Outpost, a trailblazer in space robotics, invites you to join our team! Lunar Outpost is dedicated to creating a sustainable presence in space, while also driving positive impacts here on Earth. We areseeking a talented, experienced Senior Autonomy Engineer - State Estimation.As a part of our State EstimationTeam, you will play a pivotal role in developingcutting-edgeautonomous navigation and control systems for our lunarrovers. Working at the intersection of autonomy, robotics, and space exploration, youwillberesponsible for the architecture, development, and verification of the vehicle state estimation stack, including local state filters, global localization methods, and lunar surface state measurement solutions.This role provides technical leadership for a critical subsystem that underpins mobility, autonomy, safety, and mission operations.Collaborating with cross-disciplinary engineering teams,you'llbring yourexpertiseto solve complex challenges and drive the innovation needed to explore new frontiersin space.

Take the #NextLeap with Lunar Outpost and work on the Pegasus LTV, which will carry NASA astronauts farther than they've ever been before on the lunar surface!

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end state estimation architecture for robotic platforms, spanning local state propagation, global localization, outlier rejection, and external measurement integration

• Lead the design, implementation, and validation of state filters, including extended Kalmanfilters, factor-graph optimization, and related probabilistic estimators

• Develop andmaintainbothglobaland relativelocalization solutions

• Fusestatemeasurementsfrom onboard and externalsourcesand infer dynamic constraints on state fromsources such asterrainfeatures, vehicle health signals

• Define estimator interfaces, data products, timing requirements, and covariance conventions for downstream consumers, including planning, control, fault management, and mission operations

• Establish estimator performance requirements, observability analyses, consistency checks, and failure detection strategies

• Lead offlineanalysis and field validation of estimation performance across representative operational scenarios

• Guide sensor fusion strategies in collaboration with sensor and systems engineering teams, including calibration, latency handling, and fault tolerance

• Support anomaly investigation, estimator tuning, and root-cause analysis during integration and field operations

• Conduct field tests and simulations tovalidateand refile algorithms and softwaresystems

• Ensuresoftware systems adhere to industry standards for safety, reliability, and performance in space exploration contexts

• Mentor junior engineers and promote a culture of technical excellence and innovation within theteam

• Stay at the forefront of autonomy and robotics technology, incorporating the latest advancements into our projects

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in research and development ofperceptionand localization in unstructured environments

• Bachelor's degreeor higherinComputer Science, Robotic Engineering, or related field

• A minimum of5years of relevant professional experiencein developingstate estimation systems for robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or similar domains

• Demonstratedexpertise with probabilistic state estimation techniques, including EKF, UKF, factor graphs, or smoothing-based methods

• Experience with global localization or map-referenced estimation techniques, such as terrain matching, image-based localization, or absolute navigation methods

• Strong foundationin estimation theory, uncertainty propagation, observability, andappliedfiltering

• Expertisein programming languages such as C++, Python, and familiarity with ROS (Robot Operating System)

• Experience leading technical direction or mentoring engineers on complex algorithmic systems

• U.S. Person

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background inGPS-deniednavigation, planetary robotics, or operation in GPS-denied environments

• Experience integrating estimation with control systems, planners, or fault management frameworks

• Experience with photoclinometry, or terrainrelativenavigation

• Familiarity with simulation and validation tools for estimation performance analysis

• Experience with long-duration autonomy, delayed updates, or intermittent absolute measurements

• Graduate degree in robotics, aerospace, applied mathematics, ora related discipline

• Demonstrated ability to work in multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively across different engineering domains
  

Compensation & Benefits: Compensation level and base salary are competitively structured and thoughtfully determined based on factors such as relevant skills, experience, education, and the scope of the role.

• Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits, with 70% of premiums covered by the employer
• Paid time off: Three (3) weeks per year of vacation
• Retirement plan: Up to 4% employer match on 401(k) contributions
• Paid holidays: 11 company-recognized holidays
• Parental leave
• Educational reimbursement opportunities to support company objectives, continued learning, and career development

Lunar OutpostInc.is an equal opportunity employer.Lunar Outpost Inc. doesnot discriminateon the basis ofrace,color,religion, sex (including pregnancy,sexual orientation,and gender identity),national origin, ethnicity,age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Allemployees,including executives andhuman resources personnel, are expectedtoconduct themselves with professionalism andtreat others withdignityandrespect in accordance with this policy.