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GNC Engineer II Verified today

Rocket Lab · Long Beach, CA · Space Systems · first seen 2026-07-21
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About the Role

Based in Long Beach, CA, you'll join Rocket Lab's Global Launch Services Mission Formulation Team as a GNC Engineer II. You'll own Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) design, modeling, analyses, and testing for Rocket Lab launches and missions, working closely with Engineering teams and Production to bring new launch and mission concepts to life.

This role focuses on classified missions using HASTE and Electron launch vehicles. You'll conduct trade studies, preliminary and final mission analyses, and detailed design definition across Rocket Lab's launch programs.

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
  • Work with external stakeholders and customers to define mission-specific GNC requirements
  • Document GNC solutions and participate in customer design reviews
  • 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 release flight code for pre-launch testing, launch, and mission operations
  • Create tools and processes to automate GNC modeling and analysis tasks

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCS
  • 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

Desirable Qualifications

  • Active TS/SCI clearance
  • Requirements assessments and interface control document generation
  • Git version control experience
  • 3+ years modeling, simulation, or control of dynamics systems (particularly rigid bodies)
  • 3+ years Python development
  • 3+ years data analysis with MATLAB and/or SciPy
  • C/C++ development experience
  • Experience with POST, ASTOS, TAOS or similar mission analysis and trajectory optimization tools
  • Strong communication and relationship-building skills
  • Creative problem-solving and analytical thinking
  • Ability to work independently and plan workflow to meet objectives

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary: USD $115,200 to $158,400. Total compensation (base and equity): USD $125,275 to $176,025.

Benefits include company stock as part of total compensation, Employee Stock Purchase Program (15% discount), medical plans (HMO, PPO, zero-cost HDHP with HSA contribution), dental and vision, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, 401(k) with company match, subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers, discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on merchandise, and other employee discounts.

Employment Requirements

This position requires U.S. work authorization. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or Department of Commerce.

This role involves exposure to production environments with occasional noise, dust, and fumes, and may require prolonged sitting, standing, walking, and computer work.