Autopilot Engineer (Control)

STARK

ABOUT US STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionising the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop, and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective — providing operators with a decisive edge in contested environments. We are focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems — not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe, today. YOUR MISSION You will own the flight control and navigation stack that keeps our autonomous platforms stable, predictable, and precise — from first power-on to final approach (GNC = Guidance, Navigation, Control) . This isn't a maintenance role: you're building the control and state-estimation foundation that every other system on the platform depends on, while growing a team of engineers who can own that responsibility with you. Success looks like a navigation and control stack that performs reliably under the demanding, contested conditions our systems are built for.  RESPONSIBILITIES * Lead and grow a fast-expanding team of engineers working on flight control, guidance, and state estimation * Facilitate and execute the technical direction for the STARK autopilot stack: control theory (PID/LQR/MPC), sensor fusion architecture, state estimation (EKF/UKF), and real-time performance * Partner with hardware, perception, and systems engineering teams to ensure navigation performance holds end-to-end, not just in isolation * Own technical roadmap planning for your domain and represent it to your Director and cross-functional stakeholders * Bring software engineering best practices to the team such as the C4 architecture model, clean code principles and software design patterns * Moderate the peer review process with the team and ensure knowledge sharing and across different seniorities * Drive hiring, mentoring, and career development for your team as well as ways of working together * Report on technical risk, schedule, and capacity to leadership * Drive test and validation strategy, from simulation and HIL testing through live trials QUALIFICATIONS * 7+ years of software (robotics) engineering experience in the domain of GNC (guidance, navigation, and control) * 3+ years in a leadership role (Team Lead, Head of, Engineering Manager, or equivalent) with direct people management experience * Provent track record of deploying robotics software application into production environment * Strong knowledge about the GNC domain * Fluent English; German is a plus NICE TO HAVE * Proven track record taking autonomous systems with GNSS-denied navigation system from design to production fielded, flight-tested products * Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or comparable open-source autopilot stacks * Background in aerospace, robotics, or MINT programs * Exposure to systems operating in contested or degraded environments * Prior experience scaling a technical team in a startup or fast-growing engineering org * Familiarity with MIL-STD or STANAG-aligned development practices If you're interested in building the future of European defence with us and you see yourself reflected in the description above, please send us your CV in English. We’re looking forward to meeting you.

STARK

ABOUT US STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionising the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments. We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems—not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe—today. YOUR MISSION This role demands more than standard simulation engineering. Working in defence technology means operating close to the realities of modern conflict and building simulation environments that must reliably support development, validation, and mission preparation in demanding conditions. The work is challenging, mission-driven, and grounded in real operational needs.  As Simulation Engineer, you will develop and maintain high-fidelity simulation systems that help validate embedded, robotics, and unmanned platforms before they are deployed in the real world. RESPONSIBILITIES * Develop, maintain, and extend simulation environments for autonomous and unmanned systems * Build and integrate physics-based simulation frameworks for robotics, aerospace, and embedded system validation * Design and maintain realistic simulation scenarios for navigation, control, perception, and mission-level behavior * Work with physics engines and simulation stacks to model vehicle dynamics, sensors, actuators, and environmental effects * Support software-in-the-loop, system-in-the-loop, and hardware-in-the-loop testing workflows * Develop and maintain SITL and HITL test setups for embedded systems, autonomy software, and robotic platforms * Integrate simulation environments with ROS2-based autonomy stacks and embedded software workflows * Support validation and testing of guidance, navigation, control, and perception algorithms in simulated environments * Create synthetic test environments for contested, degraded, and GNSS-denied conditions * Develop interfaces between simulators, autopilots, middleware, and edge software systems * Conduct debugging, verification, and performance analysis across simulation and real-system interfaces * Collaborate closely with autonomy, embedded, robotics, and test engineers to ensure simulation supports real development needs * Produce technical documentation, test reports, and analysis of simulation fidelity, limitations, and results QUALIFICATIONS * Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python * Good understanding of physics, classical mechanics, and system dynamics * Hands-on experience with physics engines and simulation frameworks * Experience with NVIDIA simulation tools and/or open-source simulation stacks * Experience with robotics or unmanned systems simulation workflows * Experience with SITL and HITL testing * Experience integrating simulation with ROS2-based systems * Strong debugging, validation, and testing skills * Good understanding of sensor simulation, actuator modeling, and system interfaces * Experience working with Linux-based development environments * Ability to build reliable simulation pipelines for software development, test, and validation * Structured engineering mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving ability Nice to Have * A university degree in Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field * Strong background in rigid body dynamics, flight dynamics, multibody systems, control theory, or numerical methods * Experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Isaac Lab, Omniverse, Gazebo, Ignition, AirSim, PX4 SITL, ArduPilot SITL, JMAVSim, or similar frameworks * Experience with GPU-accelerated simulation, rendering, or synthetic data generation * Experience modeling EO, IR, IMU, GNSS, barometer, lidar, radar, or camera sensors * Experience with Monte Carlo analysis, scenario generation, and simulation-based validation * Understanding of aerodynamic modeling, propulsion modeling, and environmental effects such as wind and turbulence * Experience with real-time simulation constraints and hardware interfacing for HITL setups * Experience in autonomous systems, aerospace, UAVs, UGVs, defence systems, or advanced robotics * Familiarity with embedded systems, middleware, and autonomy software stacks * Experience supporting field tests by correlating simulation results with real-world data If you´re interested in building the future of European Defence with us, and you see yourself reflected in the description above, please send us your CV in English. We´re looking forward to meeting you!

STARK

ABOUT US STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionizing the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments. We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems - not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe - today. YOUR MISSION As a vital member of our Infra & DevSecOps team, you aren't just managing servers - you are the architect of the technical bridge between software, firmware, and physical infrastructure. You will ensure our autonomous stack compiles, deploys, and operates flawlessly across edge devices, microcontrollers, and cloud systems. Your work will directly impact the reliability and scalability of our embedded autonomy infrastructure deployed across air, land, and sea systems. RESPONSIBILITIES * Create and refine GitLab CI/CD pipelines tailored for cross-compiled and embedded builds. * Facilitate automated build-test-deploy processes across on-premises edge hardware and GCP. * Establish secure and traceable software delivery by applying DevSecOps principles to edge computing. * Oversee artifact lifecycles and multi-architecture containerisation strategies using OCI and Docker. * Develop and maintain build and deployment scripts. * Collaborate with firmware and electronics teams to integrate and test microcontrollers, sensor boards, and autopilot hardware. * Build and maintain secure links between on-premises infrastructure and GCP. * Integrate on-premises identity providers with GCP IAM and implement Zero Trust principles. * Orchestrate the transition of cloud workloads to on-premises infrastructure. * Manage egress costs and minimise latency between the data centre and cloud regions. SOFT SKILLS * You are solution-oriented and focus on "how we can do this" rather than listing reasons why we can't. * You have the ability to communicate complex technical ideas in a clear and respectful manner to other team members. * You have a team-first mentality: you prioritise the stability of the platform and the health of the team over being the 'smartest person in the room'. QUALIFICATIONS * Degree in Software Engineering (Bachelor’s or Master’s) or equivalent professional background * 2-5 years of experience in EdgeOps, DevSecOps, or DevOps * Proficiency with GitLab CI/CD and Docker * Strong understanding of DevSecOps, EdgeOps, and DevOps principles * Expertise in Git and Git Flow * Scripting skills in Python and Bash * Linux expertise (Debian, Ubuntu) and experience with ARM64 cross-compilation * Knowledge of GitLab Runners or comparable tools NICE TO HAVE * Experience working with cloud platforms * Familiarity with GCP services such as GCE, Cloud Build, and Artifact Registry * Hands-on knowledge of embedded hardware like NVIDIA Jetson or Raspberry Pi, and integration with MCU firmware