Senior GNC Engineer I - Mission Formulation Verified today
About the role
Based in Long Beach, CA, you'll be a key GNC engineer in Rocket Lab's Global Launch Services Mission Formulation Team. You'll design, model, analyse and test Guidance Navigation and Control systems for Rocket Lab launches and missions, including classified operations on HASTE and Electron launch vehicles.
You'll work closely with engineering teams and production to bring new launch and mission concepts to life, conducting trades studies, preliminary and final mission analyses, and defining detailed designs for 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 analyse orbital and suborbital trajectories
- Work 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
- Develop tools and processes for automating GNC modelling and analysis tasks
What you'll bring
- Bachelor's degree and 5+ 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
Nice to have
- Active TS/SCI clearance
- Experience with requirements assessments and interface control document generation
- Experience with git version control
- 3+ years' experience in modelling, simulation and/or control of dynamics systems, particularly rigid bodies
- 3+ years' experience with Python development
- 3+ years' experience with data analysis using MATLAB and/or SciPy
- Experience developing in C/C++
- Experience with POST, ASTOS, TAOS or similar mission analysis, trajectory optimization, vehicle design and simulation 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 and benefits
Base salary: $132,000 to $198,000 USD. Total compensation including equity: $196,275 to $216,075 USD. Anticipated annual equity grant value is designed around function, level, experience and other factors; realised value depends on vesting and stock-price performance.
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 coverage, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, 401(k) with company match, subsidised EV charging, onsite fitness centres (where available), discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on merchandise, and other employee discounts.
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.
Requirements
To work in US offices, you must be a US citizen, lawful US permanent resident (Green Card holder), lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the US Department of State and/or Commerce under International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).