Pivotal

GNC Engineer II - Navigation

Palo Alto, CAMid LevelFull-TimeSystems Engineering$139,000 - $160,000Posted

Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly aircraft the world's first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market. 

Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal aircraft are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been flying for over 10 years. Last year we announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, which is rapidly progressing toward general release and scalable production in 2026. 

Mobility is one of the most highly-valued areas of modern technology investments. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. If you are ready for adventure, we invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.

About the Role

The GNC team at Pivotal develops the flight control and navigation algorithms that let our aircraft fly safely and precisely, including on the Helix family of aircraft. We are looking for a GNC Engineer II who focuses on navigation to design, implement, and verify the state estimation and sensor fusion algorithms. These algorithms estimate the aircraft’s attitude, heading, position, velocity, and other critical states in real time.

You will work across the full development lifecycle. That includes characterizing sensors and designing algorithms in MATLAB and Simulink, deploying them on embedded flight hardware, testing them in simulation and hardware-in-the-loop, and analyzing flight test data. You will work closely with the flight controls, firmware, avionics, autonomy, systems engineering, and flight test teams.

The ideal candidate has a solid grounding in estimation theory and hands-on experience taking a filter from design all the way to real sensor data or hardware. Experience with aircraft navigation systems, GNSS/INS integration, and eVTOL or UAV platforms is highly desirable.

GNC Engineer II - Navigation
$139,000 - $160,000
Apply now