Director, Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations.

If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond!

Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Director, Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the VP, Space & Mission Systems
, the Director, Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control will be part of a collaborative team developing innovative small satellite vehicle solutions for multiple projects.

• Lead and mentor a team of GNC engineers, ensuring they have clear objectives, adequate resources, and support to meet project milestones
• Lead the design, development, and integration of GNC systems, ensuring they meet the required specifications and standards
• Plan and manage GNC projects, including supporting schedule, budget, and resource allocation in partnership with peer organizations and project management
• Lead troubleshooting of efforts related to GNC systems, applying advanced problem-solving and technical expertise
• Coordinate with other departments, stakeholders, and external partners to ensure alignment on GNC projects and initiatives
• Lead continuous improvement efforts, driving efficiencies and innovation in GNC development and maintenance
• Provide technical inputs and support for proposal efforts
• Support mission operations and anomaly resolution
• Prepare and present formal and informal reports and status to upper management on a weekly basis
• Provide inputs and evaluation of documentation for program milestone reviews and provide technical mentorship and peer review for coworkers

• Master’s Degree in an engineering field with a concentration in dynamics and control
• Minimum of 15 years of Guidance, Navigation & Control technical experience, primarily within the space industry
• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading and/or managing engineers
• Demonstrated GNC engineering and software development using MATLAB and Simulink
• Strong fundamental understanding of orbital dynamics and classical mechanics
• Highly motivated, self-starting, and able to perform duties autonomously without supervision
• Strong writing, presentation, and oral communication skills
• Passion for the new space industry
• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance

• Ph.D. in Dynamics and controls is highly desired
• Experience with the design of spacecraft flexible body control, Kalman Filtering, jitter analysis, rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD), fault detection, isolation, recovery protocols
• Flight dynamics, Monte, navigation, orbit determination and mission operations for GEO and deep space
• Experience with autonomy for satellite, constellation management, orbit insertion, station-keeping, and collision avoidance
• Low and high thrust trajectory design and optimization
• Hands-on experience with small satellites, robotic systems, or similar
• Optical Communication Terminals (OCT)
• Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT)
• C++ and Python experience

$220,000 — $270,000 USD

• 100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
• 401(k) Match
• Flexible Time Off (FTO)
• Education Reimbursement
• Competitive Paid Parental Leave

An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending,…