Guidance Navigation & Control (GNC) Engineer Verified today
The Role
As a GNC engineer, you will be a core driver of the GNC architecture for internally developed actuators that support the overall platform capabilities. You will execute detailed trade studies to find new and novel ways to implement navigation and control of K2 mechanisms.
In the first 3 months, you will support the development of the control infrastructure, from discrete filter design in the time domain to thorough analysis in the frequency domain. In the first 6 months, you will own and execute the Verification and Validation plan for mechanism GNC, driving the system to flight readiness via robust analysis of performance in both nominal and off-nominal environments. This will include updates to the GNC stack, the K2 6-DOF simulation, HOOTL (Hardware Out Of the Loop), and HITL (Hardware In The Loop).
All GNC team members commit code to the 6-DOF simulator and own a portion of the GNC flight software. In the first year, you will support launch and on-orbit operations of the Trinity mission - the first full stacked demonstration of 3 K2 spacecraft buses. In parallel, you will support block 2 upgrades of the GNC stack and 6-DOF simulator, incorporating lessons learned from on-orbit operations.
Responsibilities
- Work with other engineering leads to develop and validate a novel high-level vehicle architecture
- Develop novel algorithms for precise pointing of very large, flexible structures in Earth orbit and beyond
- Develop novel algorithms for precise pointing of mechanisms, characterising and rejecting disturbances and jitter
- Develop novel slewing algorithms for very large, flexible structures in Earth orbit and beyond
- Develop simulation and modelling tools to support vehicle and GNC trade studies, including mission design, controls analysis, and 6-DOF simulation development
- Contribute to building the GNC organisation by recruiting, hiring, and mentoring other engineers
Required Experience
- GNC actuator or sensor sizing, selection, and system design
- Implementing control and/or estimation algorithms
- Verification and validation of GNC flight software in an integrated environment, using 6-DOF simulation and HITL testing
- Python, Julia, C/C++, or Matlab for algorithm development, implementation, and simulation
Nice to Have
- Early-stage conceptual (clean-sheet) design work
- Control algorithm development
- Reaction wheel, control moment gyroscope, motor, or thruster sizing and algorithm implementation
- Navigation, specifically Extended Kalman Filters
- Trajectory analysis, modelling, and mission design
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary range: $110,000-$200,000 plus equity
- Salary based on knowledge, skills, education, and experience level
- Comprehensive benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and other perks
Export Compliance
The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including ITAR. You must either be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee) or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.