GNC Engineer III; Controls), Alpha

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond.

Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

SUMMARY

As a Senior GNC Engineer specializing in controls and autonomy at Firefly, you will design and implement advanced control systems and autonomous flight software for operational launch vehicles. In this role, you will develop and tune attitude control software, support hardware-in-the-loop testing and system integration, and provide technical leadership while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. This position combines advanced control theory, real-time embedded systems development, and hands‑on flight operations support while mentoring junior engineers in a fast‑paced operational environment.

• Design, analyze, and tune launch vehicle attitude control software to ensure stable flight from launch to orbit
• Implement control techniques for mission‑critical flight phases using thrust vector control actuators, reaction control thrusters, and aerodynamic surfaces
• Develop control systems accounting for complex launch vehicle dynamics including aerodynamic effects, structural flex modes, propellant slosh, and control structure interaction
• Establish technical standards and validation methodologies for control system design, software development, and hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Conduct stability analysis, sensitivity studies, and performance optimization for control systems under nominal and off-nominal flight conditions
• Support hardware-in-the-loop test campaigns for integrated GNC systems including control algorithm validation, flight software verification, and system-level performance testing
• Drive resolution of complex GNC challenges requiring deep technical expertise and rapid problem-solving
• Provide technical direction on system architecture and serve as subject matter expert for launch vehicle control
• Mentor junior engineers in control theory and flight software development
• Author technical documentation and analysis reports that communicate GNC concepts and results to diverse audiences
• Interface with cross-discipline teams to integrate control software with vehicle hardware
• Serve as a GNC console operator for launch operations and perform post-flight analysis to improve vehicle models
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives for GNC processes, tools, and operational efficiency

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field
• 5-10 years of experience in launch vehicle GNC systems with significant depth in attitude control system design or flight software development
• Advanced knowledge of attitude dynamics and control theory, including rotational dynamics, attitude representations, control moment generation, and stability analysis
• Strong understanding of classical control theory and frequency domain analysis techniques
• Expertise in real-time software development using C++ for flight-critical applications
• Experience developing high-fidelity actuator models and attitude control system testbeds
• Proficiency in hardware-in-the-loop testing and requirement verification for flight-critical systems
• Understanding of software development best practices including version control (Git), code documentation, and testing
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Master's degree or PhD in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or related field
• Experience architecting and implementing control systems for operational launch vehicles from development through flight
• Expertise in…