Principal Engineer, Rendezvous & Proximity Operations; RPO), Guidance, Navigation & Control, Lead

Sierra Space Careers

At Sierra Space, we build the missions and systems that keep our world secure in the domain above Earth.

Sierra Space team members share a spirit of innovation and collaboration and a belief that we can deliver on the boldest missions in space today. Together with our customers, we aim to safeguard our nation, sustain human presence in space, and secure the freedom of operations in low Earth orbit and beyond.

Our success is measured by the trust of those who rely on what we build and deliver, and our technologies keep the United States and its allies mission‑ready throughout space.

We are mission‑driven, and together, we are an extraordinary team.

Sierra Space is seeking Principal Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer to lead the development, integration, and innovation of advanced GNC systems for spacecraft applications. This senior role requires extensive expertise across all aspects of GNC algorithmic design, autonomy, and system architecture. The successful candidate will drive technical excellence across programs and ensure scalable and reusable designs for multiple platforms. This role offers the opportunity to drive innovation and technical excellence in aerospace technology.

In this role, you will drive program execution towards achieving key GNC milestones while sharing your GNC design and development expertise, serving as both a lead and an individual contributor across multiple programs. You will own the end‑to‑end design aspects of Guidance, Navigation, and Control on various programs and formulate GNC design, development, and testing architecture and processes for new programs, focusing on flexibility, adaptability, and reliability to meet long‑term program goals.

Additionally, you will architect GNC sensor, avionics, and actuator frameworks in conjunction with FSW C&DH, provide input to Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) planning as a GNC expert on test configurations, and assist with HITL troubleshooting. You will also perform sensor and actuator selection and sizing based on program requirements, using and developing relevant design tools, and assist in AI&T by conducting HITL unit and integrated testing to verify GNC subsystem performance.

Our mission is driven by an unyielding commitment to advancing space‑based technology in service of our customers and safeguarding national security. We seek individuals who are passionate about innovating beyond boundaries and relentlessly pursuing solutions that protect, preserve and empower – to join us in this critical mission.

We’re looking for team members who align with our values, mission and goals – while also meeting the minimum qualifications below. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent work experience in lieu of degree). Master’s degree is preferred for candidates with 10+ years of related experience.
• 12+ years of experience in GNC algorithm design, subsystem integration, and spacecraft development.
• Experience with leading design reviews for programs and customers.
• Possess in‑depth knowledge of adaptive and robust control systems, LOS and jitter mitigation design and analysis, and particle filtering techniques.
• Demonstrate subject matter expertise in at least two areas of GNC algorithmic design and have experience with end‑to‑end GNC design on at least one program.
• Experience with planning and scheduling GNC tasks for multiple teams and programs; develop advanced proposals and SOWs for customers.
• Advanced user of STK; expertise in SIMULINK programming and auto coding, JIRA, Confluence, and MS Project; familiarity with FPGA programming.

• Experience with developing conceptual interfacing frameworks for sensors and actuators with avionics.
• Lead end‑to‑end efforts in Rendezvous, Proximity Operations (RPO), and docking activities, including mission planning, trajectory optimization, system integration, and operational execution to ensure precise and reliable spacecraft interactions.
• Ability to…