# Senior Manager, GNC

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** Dallas, TX
**Role:** Engineering Management
**Salary:** $230k – $350k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** C++, Python, control systems, autonomy algorithms, unmanned aerial systems, Robotics, path planning, trajectory optimization, lqr, kalman filters, CI/CD, test-driven development, flight software, linear systems analysis, Software Architecture
**Posted:** 2026-08-12

> Leads the Guidance and Control team responsible for developing, integrating, qualifying, and flight-testing autonomy and control algorithms for unmanned aerial systems. Requires substantial engineering leadership experience, controls expertise, and a track record of shipping products and developing high-performing teams.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Lead and maintain control and autonomy algorithms within the VBAT codebase.
- Oversee full-lifecycle development, including algorithm development, software design and coding, unit testing, component testing, flight software qualification, and flight-test support.
- Coordinate workshare and integrate solutions with Hivemind, State Estimation, Simulation Development, Aerodynamics, and Embedded Software teams.
- Grow and maintain a high-performance team.
- Create and execute individual career growth plans and mentor team members.
- Identify team capability gaps and address them through training or hiring.
- Negotiate work responsibilities and alignment across teams in a cross-functional development environment.
- Deliver high-quality, user-centric software solutions in a fast-paced environment.

## Requirements
- Typically **10+ years of related experience with a bachelor's degree**, **7+ years with a master's degree**, or **5+ years with a PhD**.
- Proven record of shipping products and navigating development cycles to meet deadlines.
- Experience with control systems, especially unmanned aerial systems and/or robotics.
- Experience with outer-loop path planning and trajectory synthesis.
- Experience integrating software in a hierarchical environment.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

## Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with continuous integration/continuous delivery and test-driven development.
- Experience with software autonomy stack architecture and development.
- Experience designing hierarchical architectures that decouple code responsibility for robust, maintainable codebases.
- Experience with outer-loop guidance algorithms for trajectory optimization.
- Controls experience including linear system analysis, gain/phase margin analysis, pole placement, and LQR algorithms.
- Experience developing and verifying discrete and Kalman filters.
- C++ and Python coding experience.

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