Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Control; GNC Engineer

Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer

Highlights:

Location: Broomfield, CO

Employment Type: Direct-hire

Compensation: BOE

Position

Description:

Our client's technology hinges on flawless execution of rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) and stands at the intersection of Space Domain Awareness (SDA), robotics, and in-space upgrades. Complex algorithms are essential to unlocking this vision. This is the domain of GNC Engineers. You'll primarily focus on the design, build, test, analysis and in orbit operation of the GNC system central to our rendezvous and proximity operations spacecraft and Space Domain Awareness (SDA) products.

If you have a background expertise in a relevant domain such as orbital mechanics, optimal control, spacecraft systems design, sensor fusion and navigation, and/or software development and you're excited about making a big impact while leaning into collaboration-surrounded-by Flagstaff's Ponderosa pines or the Denver Rockies-we'd love to hear from you!

• Architect solutions necessary to accomplish space mission objectives around space domain awareness and RPOD with an emphasis on autonomy, from both a hardware and software perspective.
• Evaluate and select appropriate techniques to achieve mission such as machine learning methods, physics-informed solutions, stochastic methods, Kalman Filters, etc.
• Assist in proposal capture efforts with feasibility analysis and engage with private/public partners, Department of Defense, Other Government Agencies, and other commercial partnerships.

• Develop architecture, lead trade studies and lead GNC team from conceptualization to flight for RPOD missions.
• Design algorithms, simulations, and tools for orbit determination, state estimation, uncertainty propagation to support SDA efforts.
• Analyze and source datasets for training and validation or algorithm performance.
• Build and test modeling and simulation tools for orbital/cislunar dynamics, sensor modeling, and visualization.
• Six degree of freedom modeling, simulation and validation of spacecraft dynamics, sensors and algorithms, including for RPOD missions.

• Collaborate with the software and GNC teams to implement algorithm in flight software.
• Heavily support hardware-in-the-loop testing for integrated system validation.
• Design concepts of operations (CONOPS) that balance thermal, power, momentum and communications for spacecraft missions.
• Provide mission operations training and support.

• Bachelor's degree in a technical engineering discipline
• 5+ years of experience working in guidance, navigation, and control
• Software development experience in Python
• Experience developing, debugging, and deploying GNC sensors, effectors and algorithms that have been used in real world applications/projects
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up atmosphere
• Proven ability to lead a project from conception to completion

• Experience with cradle-to-grave spacecraft design, testing, verification/validation and in-orbit mission operations
• Expertise in either guidance, navigation or control
• Experience with multi-body astrodynamics
• Experience with Git, Linux and Basilisk
• Software development experience in C/C++
• Capable of identifying and solving complex problems with little to no supervision or direction
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.