GNC Engineer II, Hypersonics

Career Opportunities with Firefly Aerospace

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Careers At Firefly Aerospace

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Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing.

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

As a GNC Engineer at Firefly, you will design, analyze, and operate the GNC systems of operational launch vehicles. In this role, you will develop GNC and simulation software, perform dynamic analyses, and support mission operations while continuing to build breadth across core GNC competencies. This position offers hands‑on experience with launch vehicle ascent guidance, attitude control systems, and real‑time flight operations in a fast‑paced environment.

You will deepen your technical capabilities and refine your desired career trajectory, taking ownership of system elements and software tools as you grow toward a senior GNC role at Firefly.

Develop and validate GNC software to ensure successful launch vehicle mission execution

Tune and configure attitude determination and control algorithms for all phases of launch vehicle flight

Perform 6

DOF dynamic analysis of nominal and dispersed ascent trajectories

Develop and maintain simulation models for sensors, actuators, and environmental effects

Create tools to automate workflows, process flight data, and generate technical reports

Conduct stability analysis, sensitivity studies, and hardware-in-the-loop testing of GNC systems under nominal and off‑nominal flight conditions

Interface with cross‑discipline teams to integrate GNC software with vehicle hardware

Serve as a GNC console operator for launch operations and perform post‑flight analysis to improve vehicle models

Author technical documentation and analysis reports that communicate GNC concepts and results to diverse audiences

Build proficiency across core GNC competencies while contributing to continuous improvement of GNC processes and tools

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, or related field

2-5 years of professional experience in aerospace guidance, navigation, and control, or related technical discipline

Understanding of launch vehicle flight mechanics and attitude dynamics

Familiarity with numerical simulation techniques, integration methods, and modeling of dynamic systems

Experience with Python for scripting, data analysis, and visualization

Familiarity with C++ for real‑time or flight‑critical applications

Understanding of software development best practices including version control (Git), code documentation, and testing

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in aerospace engineering or related field with focus on GNC, flight mechanics, or controls

Experience supporting launch vehicle GNC across development, integration, and flight

Proficiency in C++ for embedded systems or real‑time applications

Knowledge of state estimation techniques including Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, and covariance analysis

Knowledge of numerical optimization and targeting methods applied to trajectory design

Familiarity with modern flight software frameworks and real‑time operating systems

Familiarity with CI/CD workflows and automated testing practices

Experience with Linux development environments and command‑line tools

Exposure to spaceflight mission operations or launch campaigns

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan…