Guidance & Control Algorithms Engineer at matchmatch · Madrid

We’re partnering with an early-stage European defence-tech company developing autonomous robotic systems for real-world operational environments.

The team is building next-generation autonomy technology, with a current focus on aerial robotics and counter-drone systems. Their work combines advanced algorithms, robotics, perception, control and physical hardware to create autonomous systems capable of operating reliably in complex and dynamic environments.

We’re looking for an engineer with a strong mathematical and algorithmic background who wants to take ownership of the guidance and control algorithms behind autonomous robotic systems.

This is an opportunity to work on challenging engineering problems where mathematical models and algorithms must ultimately perform on real hardware

What you'll own:

• Guidance & autonomy algorithms: Design, develop and improve algorithms that enable autonomous systems to make decisions and execute reliable trajectories in dynamic environments.
• Trajectory generation & optimization: Work on trajectory calculation, planning and optimization, accounting for system dynamics and operational constraints.
• Optimal control: Develop and implement control algorithms using classical or modern approaches, translating mathematical models into practical solutions.
• State estimation & navigation: Contribute to algorithms that estimate the system's state and support reliable guidance and control using available sensor information.
• Simulation & validation: Build, test and refine algorithms in simulation before integrating and validating them on physical robotic platforms.
• Real-world integration: Collaborate with robotics, perception and embedded engineers to ensure algorithms operate reliably as part of the wider autonomous system.
• Technical ownership: Take responsibility for your algorithms from mathematical formulation and prototyping through implementation, testing and continuous improvement.

Who we are looking for:

• Strong background in applied mathematics, control theory, algorithms or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Experience developing guidance, control, trajectory planning or optimization algorithms.
• Solid understanding of optimal control and the mathematical principles behind dynamic systems.
• Strong programming skills in Python, with the ability to translate mathematical concepts into working algorithms.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink, C++ or similar engineering and scientific computing tools.
• Ability to work independently on complex mathematical and engineering problems.
• Interest in developing algorithms for real autonomous systems, beyond purely theoretical research.
• Comfortable working in English within a multidisciplinary engineering team.

We’re open to engineers from different backgrounds, including robotics, aerospace, control engineering, applied mathematics and physics. You don’t necessarily need to have held a formal Guidance or GNC Engineer title if you have the mathematical and algorithmic foundation to take ownership of this work.

Nice to have:

• Experience with UAVs, drones or other autonomous vehicles.
• Background in Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC).
• Experience with Model Predictive Control (MPC), trajectory optimization or advanced control methods.
• Familiarity with state estimation, Kalman filtering or sensor fusion.
• Experience with C++ and real-time software development.
• Familiarity with ROS2, PX4 or ArduPilot.
• Experience with simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing or sim-to-real development.
• Previous experience in aerospace, defence or other safety-critical engineering environments.

What kind of engineer will thrive here:

• Mathematically curious — you enjoy understanding why algorithms work, not just implementing existing solutions.
• Ownership-driven — you want to take responsibility for the algorithms you develop and see them through to real-world application.
• Analytical and pragmatic — you can move between mathematical theory, software implementation and practical engineering constraints.
• Comfortable with ambiguity — you can approach problems that don't yet have an established solution or a perfectly defined set of requirements.
• Collaborative — you enjoy working with engineers across robotics, perception, embedded systems and hardware.
• Motivated by real-world impact — you want to see your algorithms move beyond research and simulation into working autonomous systems.

Why join now

You’ll be joining a small, highly technical team at a stage where individual engineers can have a meaningful influence on the product, architecture and technical direction.

The opportunity is to take ownership of challenging guidance and control problems, working across the full development cycle — from mathematical formulation and algorithm design to software implementation and real-world validation.

You’ll collaborate closely with engineers across robotics, AI, perception and embedded systems, helping build European autonomous defence technology with real operational applications.

If you enjoy solving complex mathematical problems and want to see your algorithms become part of real autonomous systems, we’d love to hear from you.