Early Career Navigation, Guidance, and Control NGC Systems Engineer - Onsite - Sandia National Laboratories

What Your Job Will Be Like

The Autonomy for Hypersonics and Navigation Warfare teams have need for a systems engineer who applies integrated technical judgment to anticipate, innovate, and deliver solutions across low to medium technical readiness levels on efforts primarily aligned with autonomous navigation, guidance, and control (NGC) of advanced flight systems for challenging mission spaces.

In this role, the successful candidate would apply multi-disciplinary knowledge to execute advanced autonomous aerospace system tasking within the spectrum of fundamental research, development, or demonstration, with a focus on hypersonic systems and challenging operational environments.

Key activities include working with project and team leads to develop solutions for new sensing and computing elements (e.g., hardware and software) within an autonomous system framework, working with the management team, external stakeholders, integrated product team (IPT) leads, and subsystem subject matter experts to negotiate and define the system requirements that enable mission function and performance; defining the necessary subsystems, components, and interfaces to realize the system;

identifying test, validation and verification methods and develops acceptance criteria for the subsystems and system and delivers Objective Quality Evidence (OQE) as needed.

The ideal candidate will have a technical background and/or degree along with experience in systems design, analysis, test, and/or simulation for autonomous, flight, or weapon systems. The job will involve collaborative interaction with technical leads and team members, often including external partners, to determine the correct approach taken and execute the subsequent tasking alongside team members to ensure progress and timely delivery.

On any given day, you may:

• Develop, integrate, test, and analyze results from hardware prototype navigation, guidance, and control systems, including elements such as actuators, GNSS receivers, and alternative navigation solutions.
• Collaborate with a team of researchers, engineers, and technologists to develop innovative, integrated NGC technologies and to mature them from concept to simulation to flight tests.
• Transition new NGC technologies, sensors, and software from Modeling and Simulation to hardware prototype for flight test experimentation.
• Perform laboratory and field testing in complex environments and analyze results to draw meaningful conclusions in support of national security missions.
• Develop substantial technical understanding of the engineering products to be delivered as well as lead subcomponents of programs.
• Work with the various subsystem teams to verify and validate complex requirements, often from a combination of analysis, observation, real and simulated environmental testing, and an understanding of essential functional performance needs.