The Role
Develop localization, state estimation, navigation, and control software for an autonomous hull-crawling marine robot. Integrate and characterize sensors, build filtering and sensor-fusion algorithms, develop SIL/HIL simulations, analyze real-world vehicle data, and conduct verification, tuning, and on-vehicle testing. Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, firmware, and test engineers to transition robotic GNC software from prototypes to reliable deployed systems.
Summary Generated by Built In
We are seeking a Robotics GNC Engineer to join our GNC team in developing the sensing, localization, and control software for a novel hull-crawling marine robot. You will help take sensors and algorithms from prototype data through robust, flight-ready software, with a particular focus on state estimation, sensor integration, simulation, and verification.
The role requires thinking across the boundary between software and the physical vehicle: understanding how sensors fail, how the robot behaves in the real world, and how to build autonomy that remains reliable outside of the lab.
CRABI is building autonomous robots that live aboard commercial ships and clean their hulls while they are underway. Marine biofouling creates enormous hydrodynamic drag, forcing ships to burn more fuel to maintain speed. By keeping hulls continuously clean, our robots can eliminate a major source of wasted energy across the global fleet—reducing fuel consumption, operating costs, and ultimately maritime CO2 emissions by more than 100 million tons per year.
Doing that requires robots that can reliably navigate and operate on the hull of a moving ship, underwater, for long periods without human intervention. Our GNC team owns the software that turns noisy sensors and imperfect hardware into a robot that knows where it is, knows how it is moving, and can safely execute its mission. You will work directly with the broader CRABI engineering team to take that system from prototype to deployed product.
Job Responsibilities:
- Develop and deploy localization, state estimation, navigation, and control software for an autonomous marine robot.
- Take new sensors from prototype data collection through characterization, filtering, fusion, integration, and production-ready software.
- Design algorithms that combine inertial, wheel odometry, vision, and other vehicle sensors to estimate robot state in challenging real-world environments.
- Develop simulation, Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) tests to validate GNC software before deployment.
- Define requirements, interfaces, failure modes, and performance metrics for vehicle sensors and GNC subsystems.
- Analyze real-world vehicle data to identify failure modes, improve algorithms, and close the loop between testing and software development.
- Design and execute system tuning, verification, and on-vehicle testing.
- Work closely with mechanical, electrical, firmware, and test engineers to integrate GNC software with vehicle hardware.
Required Qualifications:
- Strong fundamentals in robotics, controls, state estimation, or autonomous systems.
- Proficiency developing software in C++ and/or Python.
- Hands-on experience integrating physical sensors into robotic or autonomous systems.
- Experience with sensor characterization, data filtering, state estimation, or sensor fusion.
- Ability to analyze imperfect real-world sensor data and translate prototype algorithms into reliable software.
- Experience developing, testing, and debugging software that interacts directly with physical hardware.
- 1–7 years of relevant professional experience OR substantial graduate-level research or student engineering experience.
- Able to start full time ASAP.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with Kalman filtering, inertial navigation, wheel odometry, visual odometry, SLAM, or related estimation techniques.
- Experience developing Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) or Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test systems.
- Experience with ROS or ROS 2.
- Experience with real-time or embedded robotic software.
- Experience designing automated tests, fault injection, or verification infrastructure for autonomous systems.
- Experience working with marine robotics, field robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace systems, or other hardware operating in difficult environments.
- Experience on a hands-on student engineering team such as FSAE Driverless, rocketry, UAVs, robotics, or similar.
- A graduate degree with research in robotics, controls, estimation, autonomous systems, or a related field.
US work authorization is a precondition of employment. CRABI Robotics does not generally sponsor or participate in employment-based immigration filings. Sponsorship is considered only in exceptional cases at the company’s sole discretion, and applicants should not expect it to be available for this position.
Export Control Requirement
CRABI Robotics designs equipment subject to the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and this position requires immediate, unrestricted access to technical information controlled under ECCN 8A002/8E001. Under the EAR, sharing that information with certain foreign nationals requires a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Because the position requires access from the first day of employment, CRABI does not generally seek export licenses for this position.
Accordingly, applicants for this position must be either (a) a U.S. person — a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, or an individual granted asylum or refugee status — or (b) a national of a country for which the EAR does not require a license for this technology. The questions below are asked of every applicant to this position and are used solely to make that determination. They are not used to evaluate qualifications, and CRABI does not consider national origin, ethnicity, or place of birth in hiring.
CRABI Robotics is an equal opportunity employer.
Skills Required
- Strong fundamentals in robotics, controls, state estimation, or autonomous systems
- Proficiency developing software in C++ and/or Python
- Hands-on experience integrating physical sensors into robotic or autonomous systems
- Experience with sensor characterization, data filtering, state estimation, or sensor fusion
- Ability to analyze imperfect real-world sensor data and translate prototype algorithms into reliable software
- Experience developing, testing, and debugging software that interacts directly with physical hardware
- 1–7 years of relevant professional experience or substantial graduate-level research or student engineering experience
- Ability to start full time as soon as possible
- U.S. work authorization
- Eligibility for immediate unrestricted access to export-controlled technical information under the EAR
- Experience with Kalman filtering, inertial navigation, wheel odometry, visual odometry, SLAM, or related estimation techniques
- Experience developing Software-in-the-Loop or Hardware-in-the-Loop test systems
- Experience with ROS or ROS 2
- Experience with real-time or embedded robotic software
- Experience designing automated tests, fault injection, or verification infrastructure for autonomous systems
- Experience with marine robotics, field robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace systems, or other difficult-environment hardware
- Hands-on student engineering team experience such as FSAE Driverless, rocketry, UAVs, or robotics
- Graduate degree with research in robotics, controls, estimation, autonomous systems, or a related field
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The Company
What We Do
CRABI – the Crud Removal Autonomous Brushing Instrument – is a fully autonomous marine robotic system designed to conduct in-transit cleaning of marine vessels, removing biofouling. By cleaning hulls continuously, CRABI guarantees optimum fuel efficiency and coating performance. CRABI is rapidly installable and configurable for all vessels, ready for use without drydock time or significant modifications. We are now looking for both new customers and new team members: if you want to join us in working towards a greener future, reach out below.
