GNC Engineer I Verified today
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for launch services and deep space missions.
The Role
As a GNC Engineer I in Mission Formulation, you'll be responsible for Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) design, modeling, analyses, and testing for Rocket Lab launches and missions. You'll work as part of the Global Launch Services (GLS) Mission Formulation Team, collaborating with Engineering teams and Production to bring new launch and mission concepts to life.
You'll conduct trade studies, preliminary and final mission analyses, and develop detailed designs for Rocket Lab's launch programs. This team formulates and implements launches for classified missions on HASTE and Electron launch vehicles.
What You'll Do
- Serve as GNC contact to Business Development for proposals and mission definition
- Develop launch and mission operational concepts
- Design and analyze orbital and suborbital trajectories
- Engage with external stakeholders and customers on mission-specific requirements engineering
- Document GNC solutions and participate in design reviews with customers
- Support hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing to verify trajectories, GNC, and flight code performance
- Conduct Monte Carlo simulation analyses to define and verify launch and mission operations
- Develop and support release of flight code for pre-launch ground testing, launch, and mission operations
- Build tools and processes for automating GNC modeling and analysis tasks
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering
- Understanding of orbital mechanics and/or closed-loop control systems, preferably for launch vehicles
- Experience with trajectory optimization
- Proven experience developing real-time control and/or estimation algorithms in autonomous vehicles, preferably launch vehicles
- Active Secret security clearance or ability to obtain and maintain one
Nice to Have
- Active TS/SCI clearance
- Experience with requirements assessments and interface control document generation
- Experience with git version control
- 1+ years experience modeling, simulation, and/or control of dynamics systems, particularly rigid bodies
- 1+ years experience with Python development
- 1+ years experience with data analysis using MATLAB and/or SciPy
- Experience developing in C/C++
- Experience with POST, ASTOS, TAOS, or similar mission analysis and trajectory optimization tools
- Strong communication skills and ability to build working relationships
- Creative, analytical approach to problem solving
- Ability to work on own initiative and plan daily workflow to meet higher-level tasks
Compensation
Base salary range (Colorado): $81,000 to $102,000 USD. Base salary is one part of compensation. You may be eligible for company stock, cash incentives, and can purchase discounted stock through Rocket Lab's Employee Stock Purchase Program. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave; paid parental leave; and other discounts and perks.
Working Conditions
This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.
US Person Requirement
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Department of Commerce.