Senior/Principal Guidance Navigation & Control Engineer

A growing spacecraft manufacturer is looking for a Senior or Principal-level GNC/ACS Engineer to take ownership of guidance, navigation, and attitude control system work across both commercial and national security spacecraft programs. This person will operate as a technical lead within the ACS group, spanning multiple active programs, shaping subsystem architecture, building out algorithms and models, supporting verification activities and flight operations, and coaching more junior team members. What You’ll Do

Take the lead on designing, analyzing, and developing attitude determination and control algorithms, simulation tools, and full system models for spacecraft. Own the full requirements lifecycle for ACS/GNC, from breaking down mission-level needs into subsystem specs, through allocation, verification planning, and performance evaluation. Drive trade studies covering sensor and actuator selection, control architecture options, estimation methods, and mission-specific concepts of operation. Build and maintain high-fidelity simulation environments that support design work, integration, testing, and live mission operations. Run software-in-the-loop, processor-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and other integrated test campaigns to validate ACS/GNC functionality and performance. Help with spacecraft integration, test campaigns, commissioning, mission ops, and anomaly investigations by digging into telemetry and flight data. Act as the go-to ACS/GNC technical contact for systems engineering, flight software, avionics, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and mission ops teams, making sure mission goals are reflected in the product design. Get ready for and present at internal and customer-facing design reviews as the resident ACS/GNC expert. Coach and provide technical direction to junior engineers, and help shape team processes, standards, and best practices. Partner with ACS hardware vendors and internal procurement teams to evaluate, select, and integrate hardware that meets both technical and program goals.

A bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering, physics, or a closely related technical field (a master’s or PhD is a plus). At least 4 years working on spacecraft GNC/ACS development, with 8+ years preferred; candidates with a relevant advanced degree plus strong applied experience will also be considered. Solid grounding in spacecraft attitude dynamics, control theory, estimation methods, and system modeling. A track record of building and analyzing ADCS/GNC algorithms for real spacecraft applications. Experience developing, verifying, and validating performance against requirements for flight hardware/software. Proficiency in MATLAB and Simulink; familiarity with Python, C/C++, or flight-software-related development is a plus. Background supporting integrated test campaigns, mission operations, and anomaly resolution using telemetry and flight data. A demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical efforts and mentor less experienced engineers. Strong analytical, problem-solving, written, verbal, and presentation skills. A collaborative, team-first working style. U.S. citizenship is required, along with the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

guidance navigation and control, guidance navigation & control, guidance navigation and controls, guidance navigation & controls, gnc, attitude and orbit control, attitude & orbit control, attitude determination and control, attitude determination & control