Navigation Engineer

ABOUT NAUTILUS:

Nautilus is a European company specializing in advanced Flight Dynamics and spacecraft navigation for LEO, lunar, and deep-space missions. Our expertise covers the full spectrum, from GNSS-based orbit determination to high-precision deep-space navigation, and supports the entire mission lifecycle from design to in-orbit operations. Operating from Milan and Forlì, we are advancing space exploration by automating ground-based flight dynamics operations and developing innovative onboard subsystems. By integrating ground-based and onboard autonomous technologies, we empower missions to navigate the most challenging environments, enabling the next generation of self-driving satellites. Our products and services include:

• EON: a family of onboard autonomous GNC subsystems, covering GNSS-based autonomous navigation and guidance, autonomous collision avoidance, and autonomous planetary landing
• NEMO software suite: on-ground flight dynamics automation, with Home (Earth orbits), Nexus (lunar missions), and Journey (deep space)
• Operational navigation and mission analysis: designing missions and navigating spacecraft in flight, from early studies to real-time operations.
• ADCS and ground testing: attitude control algorithms, flight software and hardware-in-the-loop testing on CubeDynA, our ADCS testbed.

Our team contributes to European and Italian missions and projects such as ESA’s LUMIO lunar CubeSat, ARES planetary landing, OB-ASTRA onboard collision avoidance projects, and ESA NAVISP DRIFT project on GNSS-based maritime tracking.

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JOB DESCRIPTION:

We seek passionate innovators to help realize this vision, specifically a GNSS Navigation Engineer to join our navigation team. You will drive the development of the GNSS processing chain at the heart of the EON onboard navigation units, which turn raw GNSS measurements into real-time onboard orbit and clock solutions and act as a drop-in replacement for standard GNSS receivers.

The position is mainly application-oriented, focused on practical design, implementation, and validation of GNSS navigation algorithms. It also offers significant opportunities to contribute to R&D initiatives that extend satellite navigation beyond its traditional boundaries, from high Earth orbits to cislunar space, and to GNSS-based terrestrial applications. You will significantly impact the development of next-generation autonomous satellite platforms, collaborating closely with flight dynamics, electronics, software, and systems engineering teams to integrate GNSS navigation into mission architectures.

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GENERAL INFO:

• Location: Forlì (FC) or Milan (MI), Italy
• Remote Working: 50%
• Start Date: Earliest availability
• Salary range: 40-50k€

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• GNSS Raw Data Processing: Lead the design and implementation of algorithms for processing raw GNSS observables (pseudorange, carrier phase, Doppler, C/N0) from multi-constellation, multi-frequency receivers. This covers measurement modelling, quality control, cycle-slip and outlier detection, and clock handling. Ensure robust performance in LEO, where short tracking arcs and frequent changes in the tracked satellite set are the main challenges. Contribute to extending the processing to high Earth orbits and cislunar space, where weak side-lobe signals, poor geometry, and long outages call for dedicated techniques.

• Onboard Navigation Algorithms: Develop real-time estimation filters (EKF/UKF or equivalent) that fuse GNSS measurements with orbital dynamics models for autonomous onboard orbit and clock determination. Translate algorithms into efficient, deterministic code for resource-constrained flight computers. Contribute to cooperative navigation via inter-satellite links and to the extension of GNSS-based navigation to missions in cislunar space.

• Testing and Validation: Define and oversee simulation, GNSS-simulator, and hardware-in-the-loop test campaigns to verify navigation performance. Analyze test and flight data, and use the outcomes to validate and refine the design throughout the TRL progression of our onboard products.

• R&D Projects and Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Collaborate closely with flight dynamics, electronics, software, and GNC (Guidance, Navigation & Control) teams to ensure seamless hardware/software integration for on-board application and GNSS processing into our ground-based flight dynamics tools. Contribute to navigation requirements definition, mission performance analyses, and technical activities within institutional and commercial projects, from spacecraft navigation to GNSS-based tracking applications.

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REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Education: Master’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Geomatics/Geodesy, Physics, or equivalent. A PhD is welcomed.

• Experience: Minimum 4 years of hands-on experience in raw GNSS data processing, ideally for on-board or real-time applications or a PhD in related topics. Candidates with slightly less experience but strong technical foundations and relevant project work are also encouraged to apply.

• Technical Background: Solid knowledge of multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS and its error sources, Kalman filtering, and orbital mechanics.

• Programming: C/C++ for embedded or real-time code, and Python/MATLAB for prototyping and analysis. Experience with GNSS simulators and ECSS standards is welcome.

• Non-Earth Applications: Exposure to GNSS in high orbits or cislunar space, or to initiatives such as ESA Moonlight and MARCONI, is a strong plus.

• Soft Skills: Analytical mindset and technical ownership.

• Language Skills: proficiency in technical English, both written and spoken.

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WHY JOIN US:

✅ Flexible Work Environment: Enjoy a 50/50 split between in-office and remote work, with flexible start and end times to suit your daily rhythm. Additionally, take advantage of up to 6 weeks per year to work remotely from outside your usual geographic location.

✅ Professional Growth: Opportunities for career advancement toward technical leadership roles.

✅Cutting-edge Environment: Opportunity to join a dynamic, rapidly growing company working on groundbreaking space missions. You’ll access advanced technologies and contribute directly to pioneering space projects.

Join Nautilus and play a leading role in shaping the future of space exploration!