Principal Controls Engineering Architect

An innovative, growing space technology company is developing advanced spacecraft systems and precision optical payload technologies. They are looking for a Senior Precision Controls Engineer to help develop and validate high-performance control systems responsible for spacecraft pointing accuracy, stability, and optical payload performance.

This is a hands-on engineering position for someone who enjoys working across control theory, simulation, physical hardware, and real-time systems. You will play a key role in developing control architectures, building accurate plant models, and validating performance through hardware prototyping and closed-loop testing.

What You’ll Do

Develop and validate precision control systems for spacecraft and optical payload applications.

Build and refine physical plant models using MATLAB/Simulink, incorporating sensor measurements and hardware characterization data.

Perform open-loop and closed-loop simulations to evaluate line-of-sight (LOS) jitter, pointing stability, and coarse/fine pointing performance.

Develop, prototype, and tune control algorithms using real-time platforms such as Speedgoat, dSPACE, or similar systems.

Integrate controllers with physical hardware and validate performance through laboratory and hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Support optical payload pointing architecture, including sensor selection, beam-steering hardware, and coarse/fine steering handoff.

Evaluate and specify sensors such as IMUs, gyroscopes, accelerometers, and other precision measurement devices.

Support hardware and software trade studies, system-level performance analysis, and design verification.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams and external vendors to drive technical decisions.

Support resource sizing and implementation considerations for onboard processors, memory, I/O, and FPGA architectures.

Contribute to proof-of-concept implementations using C/C++ or HDL.

10+ years of experience in spacecraft controls, GNC, precision mechanisms, optical systems, or a closely related engineering discipline.

Strong experience developing control algorithms and modeling dynamic systems using MATLAB/Simulink.

Hands-on experience with closed-loop control development, hardware prototyping, and real-time system validation.

Experience working with physical hardware, sensor characterization, and plant modeling.

Understanding of spacecraft pointing, attitude control, line-of-sight stabilization, and jitter suppression.

Experience with real-time control platforms such as Speedgoat, dSPACE, or equivalent.

Programming experience in C/C++ or HDL.

Strong technical communication skills and the ability to work across hardware, software, systems, and mechanical engineering teams.

U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related discipline.

Experience with optical payloads, laser communication systems, fast steering mirrors, beam steering, or precision pointing mechanisms.

Experience with spacecraft sensors, including star trackers, IMUs, gyroscopes, and accelerometers.

Background supporting flight hardware development, integration, verification, and qualification.

Experience taking control systems from initial modeling and simulation through hardware validation and flight implementation.