GNC Engineer - Embedded Controls (Starlink) Verified today

About this role

As a control systems engineer on the Starlink Guidance, Navigation, and Control team (GNC), you will apply expertise in dynamics and closed loop controls to achieve robust and precise pointing on satellites, payloads, propulsion systems, and mechanisms. This is not just an analysis role; you will be responsible for vehicle design trades, simulation, flight code implementation, and ultimately deploying and operating your features in space.

What you will do

• Design, analyse, and implement electromechanical control systems such as solar array actuators, antenna gimbals, and high bandwidth active optics.
• Design, analyse, and implement satellite attitude control and momentum management systems.
• Design, analyse, and implement fluid and power system controls for Starlink hall thrusters.
• Develop optimal state estimation methods for mechanical alignment and attitude determination.
• Specify and size hardware performance; support hardware iteration, firmware bringup, design qualification, production screening, and fleet performance monitoring.
• Develop and maintain high fidelity simulations in C++, Python, and MATLAB; integrate simulations into collaborative analysis tools.
• Implement, validate, unit test, and deploy production C++ software for the systems described above.
• Provide engineering and data review support for hardware development and network-level performance monitoring.

What you need

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, physics, or an engineering discipline.
• Software development experience in C++.
• Experience with design and analysis of closed loop control systems.

What we'd prefer

• Master's degree or PhD in physics or an engineering discipline.
• Very strong expertise and demonstrated project or professional experience in linear closed loop controls analysis and design, including state space and frequency domain methods.
• Experience with flexible body dynamics and reduced finite element models in the context of closed loop control systems analysis.
• Expertise in state estimation, Kalman filters, and information filters.
• Strong expertise in embedded C++, ideally in electromechanical control systems firmware.
• Strong understanding of classical rigid body dynamics, orbital mechanics, modelling and simulation thereof.
• Direct experience with spacecraft operations and flight software development, testing, and deployment.
• Capability of identifying and solving complex problems in a self-directed manner.
• Passion for advancing the commercial space industry.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding environment.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.

Compensation and benefits

Pay range: Level 1: $125,000 to $165,000; Level 2: $145,000 to $200,000. Actual level and salary determined on a case-by-case basis based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is one part of your total rewards package. You may be eligible for long-term incentives in company stock or cash awards, discretionary bonuses, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage; 401(k) retirement plan; short and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; paid parental leave; 3 weeks of paid vacation; 10 or more paid holidays per year; and various other discounts and perks. Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the Redmond office, Monday to Friday.

Additional requirements

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.