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Advanced Navigation is a leader in AI robotics and autonomous navigation technologies serving defense, aerospace, maritime, and robotics sectors. The company supplies positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) hardware and software to major customers including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors.
The Senior Forward Deployed Engineer specializing in Geospatial Navigation is a high-impact technical role that bridges sophisticated navigation technologies with commercial and strategic objectives. This individual contributor serves as a technical authority and strategic advisor to enterprise and defense accounts, leading complex Proofs of Concept (PoCs), architecting end-to-end navigation solutions, and mentoring junior engineering personnel.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead high-level technical consultations with strategic enterprise prospects and defense clients to evaluate complex geospatial navigation, positioning, and timing requirements
- Architect and design sophisticated multi-sensor hardware and software solution proposals utilizing GNSS, Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), and Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOG)
- Deliver authoritative technical presentations, executive briefings, and live product demonstrations to senior engineering leaders and C-suite decision-makers
- Spearhead technical design, scoping, field execution, and validation of high-priority PoC projects in demanding real-world environments
- Serve as primary technical liaison between strategic clients, Product Management, and R&D engineering teams to translate market feedback into product roadmap enhancements
- Partner with senior sales account executives to develop winning deal strategies, address complex technical objections, and accelerate enterprise sales cycles
- Evaluate emerging industry trends, competitor architectures, and evolving trade regulations to maintain competitive positioning
- Provide technical mentorship, domain training, and solution guidance to sales account executives and junior pre-sales team members
- Travel nationally and internationally (up to 25–30%) to strategic client facilities, field testing sites, integration trials, and industry expos
- Ensure strict adherence to corporate Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) standards during all field trials and customer demonstrations
This is an individual contributor role with no direct supervisory responsibilities; the engineer serves as a senior technical lead providing domain expertise and informal mentorship.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Geomatics, Systems Engineering, or Robotics) or related technical field
- 5+ years of progressive experience in technical pre-sales, solution architecture, or systems engineering within complex high-tech hardware, software, or defense environments
- Advanced technical knowledge of GNSS, INS, sensor fusion, position-velocity-orientation algorithms, and complex system integrations
- Must be a "U.S. Person" (U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) as defined by ITAR and EAR due to handling defense technologies and trade-controlled technical data
- Ability to obtain and maintain security clearances (Secret or higher) and export compliance certifications
- Willingness to travel nationally and internationally up to 75%
- Strong communication skills, executive presence, and ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences
- Demonstrated ability to lead PoCs, manage technical integrations, and drive customer success in high-stakes environments
