GNC Lead

Location

Ashburn HQ

Full time

On‑site

Space Systems

Overview Energy is a mission-driven team committed to delivering Space Solar Energy to the world. We operate at the intersection of space infrastructure and energy abundance, providing baseload power across entire continents 24/7, without seasonality or the need for batteries. Headquartered in the Washington, DC area and backed by world‑class investors, we are advancing the next generation of clean energy technology.

Overview Energy's GNC Lead owns the end‑to‑end design, analysis, implementation, and on‑orbit performance of spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control subsystems for missions ranging from LEO to GEO. This role blends dynamics and control theory, flight software implementation, simulation and analysis, and hands‑on integration and test to deliver robust pointing, maneuvering, and trajectory performance across all mission phases. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in spacecraft GNC or flight dynamics, is comfortable leading technical efforts and mentoring junior engineers, and can own the GNC subsystem from requirements definition through on‑orbit operations and anomaly resolution.

This engineer collaborates closely with systems, avionics, flight software, mission operations, and structures/thermal teams to ensure GNC performance supports mission, power, communications, and pointing constraints.

• Lead architecture, design, and analysis of spacecraft GNC/ADCS subsystems, including sensor/actuator selection, control law design, and performance budgets
• Develop and maintain high‑fidelity simulation and Monte Carlo environments to design and verify GNC algorithms and mission performance
• Design, implement, and validate GNC flight algorithms (estimation, guidance, control, momentum management) and integrate them with flight software
• Perform mission‑level flight dynamics analyses (orbit design, maneuver planning, transfers, and contingency trajectories) to meet revisit, persistence, and availability requirements
• Design for stringent pointing, acquisition, and tracking requirements
• Define GNC requirements and interfaces, and generate key technical documentation (ICDs, performance specifications, operations concepts)
• Support hardware selection and modelling for GNC sensors/actuators, including performance and error budgets
• Plan and execute GNC verification and validation (software and hardware in the loop, environmental and functional tests) and review test data for compliance
• Support spacecraft I&T and operations, including bring‑up, calibration, closed‑loop testing, on‑orbit performance monitoring, and anomaly resolution

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering or physics field with focus on dynamics, controls, or space systems
• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft GNC, ADCS, or flight dynamics
• Demonstrated GNC algorithm development and analysis experience using tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, Python, or C++
• Experience across multiple lifecycle phases of a GNC subsystem (requirements, design, implementation, integration, test, and/or operations)
• U.S. citizenship required

• Graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field with emphasis on GNC or astrodynamics
• Experience with advanced mission profiles (RPOD, formation flying, cislunar or interplanetary missions) and leading GNC or flight dynamics efforts
• Background integrating GNC software into real‑time embedded flight software and supporting verification and validation

The health and safety of our employees and their families comes first. In addition to competitive salary and equity, we offer medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage, a health and wellness stipend, 6 weeks of paid time off, parental leave, and employer 401K matching. The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits at any time.

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected…