Senior Navigation Scientist - Quantum Sensing

About the role

We are seeking a new Senior Navigation Scientist to help improve navigation performance in GPS-denied or contested environments by making the best use of information provided by Q-CTRL’s quantum sensors. You will work closely with experts in quantum sensing to deliver novel navigation capabilities that solve pressing challenges in maritime and aeronautical positioning and navigation. A key focus of the role will be developing robust navigation algorithms that extract the maximum value from our highly sensitive quantum sensors, including methods to suppress magnetic and vibrational noise generated by the host platform. The algorithms, signal processing, automation, and data analytics you develop will inform the design, build, and operation of our quantum sensors for a given navigation end-user or application.

What you’ll be doing:

• Be part of an established and growing team focused on quantum sensing for a variety of industry sectors such as aerospace, defence, geophysical exploration and Earth observation
• Develop new navigation algorithms, sensor fusion strategies, and modeling capability for different navigation scenarios, including those involving unaided dead reckoning and position fixing via gravitational and magnetic map-matching
• Plan, participate in, and analyse data from field trials on maritime and airborne platforms to test, validate, and refine our navigation technology in real-world conditions
• Translate quantum sensor performance into capabilities that solve pressing challenges for current and prospective navigation end-users and customers (and similarly, identify quantum sensor requirements and concepts of operation for a given navigation application)
• Develop, document, and review high-quality software using Python
• Share your insights and results with the broader Quantum Sensing Division, company, external stakeholders and customers through verbal presentations and written outlets (e.g. academic publications, technical reports, blog posts)
• Liaise as needed with our academic and industry partners in order to perform the above duties and support new business and product development.

Ideally you’ll have:

• A PhD (or equivalent industry experience) in physics, engineering, or a closely related discipline
• Experience in navigation theory and numerical navigation modelling (e.g. navigation system modelling, navigation signal processing, navigation fusion for alternative navigation systems, quantum sensing for navigation)
• Experience working in an interdisciplinary context with R&D scientists and engineers
• A strong desire to work with a world leading team and a company that is fundamentally building the future of the quantum technology industry

It would be fantastic if you have these skills/experience but not essential:

• Experience communicating technical results to a wide and varied audience
• Experience in modern signal processing methods (e.g. Bayesian methods, particle filtering, sequential Monte Carlo methods)
• Robotics experience relevant to navigation, such as SLAM, factor-graph estimation, or sensor integration and field trials on autonomous platforms
• Experience with machine learning approaches to state estimation, such as deep state-space models, hybrid model-based/learned filters or sequence models
• Familiarity with the Python programming language for scientific computing
• Familiarity with quantum and/or atomic physics at an undergraduate level
• Experience with version control e.g. Git