Principal GNC Engineer
Skills
- Expertise in spacecraft attitude dynamics, orbital mechanics, and environmental perturbations.
- Proven experience with estimation and filtering (EKF, UKF, batch least squares) and sensor fusion.
- Strong proficiency in C++ and Python for algorithm development and numerical methods.
- Experience designing control laws and performing stability, robustness, and frequency-domain analyses.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain high-fidelity simulations and Monte Carlo frameworks.
- Hands-on experience integrating and testing with flight hardware: star trackers, IMUs, reaction wheels, GN&C avionics, propulsion.
- Ability to define subsystem requirements and participate in formal design reviews.
- Leadership skills to drive cross-disciplinary technical efforts with minimal direction.
Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end development of spacecraft GNC systems: architecture, algorithms, software, hardware integration, verification, and flight operations.
- Design, test, and validate GNC flight software for LEO, GEO, and cislunar missions.
- Develop advanced attitude and orbit determination algorithms, including sensor fusion, state estimation, covariance analysis, and Kalman filtering (EKF/UKF/batch).
- Design control laws for attitude, orbit control, maneuver execution, and closed-loop guidance, ensuring robustness under uncertainty.
- Lead creation and maintenance of high-fidelity 6-DOF simulations, sensor/actuator models, disturbance environments, Monte Carlo pipelines, and SIL/HIL integration.
- Conduct system-level GNC trade studies and recommend hardware choices (reaction wheels, torque rods, thrusters, star trackers, IMUs, GNSS, optical sensors).
- Define GNC subsystem requirements, interfaces, calibration procedures, and verification/validation plans; support SRR/PDR/CDR.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with avionics, software, propulsion, mechanisms, mission ops, and systems engineering.
- Support on-orbit commissioning, calibration, maneuver planning, fault investigation, and anomaly resolution.
- Mentor junior engineers, lead design/code reviews, and establish GNC best practices and development standards.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, or related discipline required.
- Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in a related field preferred.
Benefits
- Base salary (CO): $180,000 - $250,000
- Base salary (CA): $185,000 - $260,000
- Equity
- Health, Dental, Vision
- HRA/HSA options
- PTO and paid holidays
- 401(k)
- Parental leave
Average salary estimate
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