Senior Missile Guidance and Control Engineer

Overview

Senior Missile Guidance and Control Engineer role at nou Systems, Inc. (nSI). The position is part of a small, elite R&D team in Huntsville, Alabama, building transformative low cost interceptors for emerging DoD applications. nSI is an ESOP company focused on innovation in missile defense, RF seeker technology, AI systems, and defense platforms.

• Serve as the guidance and control lead for a best-in-class interceptor around a patented interferometric RF seeker technology.
• Architect, rapidly prototype, and implement the guidance system for highly maneuverable, small-diameter (120 mm and lower) surface-to-air interceptor designs.
• Shape optimal interceptor trajectories, inform airframe and actuator design/selection, define the homing loop from launch to endgame, and develop integrated guidance solutions for low-cost performance in contested environments.
• Cover the full guidance loop from seeker/sensor integration through mid-course guidance to endgame management; focus on autopilots, actuators, aiming, and adjoint analysis.
• Interface with aerodynamics, manufacturing, and control experts to ensure guidance solutions exploit the seeker fully and develop adaptive guidance schemes accounting for changing vehicle dynamics and deployment environments, countermeasures, and target sets.
• Take guidance concepts from whiteboard sketches to hardware-in-the-loop simulations and flight tests within months.

• Master's degree minimum in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a similar technical field
• Seven years of full-time professional experience in guidance, navigation, and control engineering roles
• Must possess or have the ability to obtain an active Secret Security Clearance

• Modern guidance law development including proportional navigation variants, optimal guidance, predictive guidance, and sliding mode approaches
• 6-DoF trajectory analysis and Monte Carlo simulation
• State estimation and filtering for guidance applications (e.g. EKF, UKF, particle filters)
• Hardware-in-the-loop and processor-in-the-loop simulation environments
• Real-time implementation of guidance algorithms with computational constraints
• Impact of guidance techniques on platform cost, other subsystems, and integration/manufacturing complexity

• Deep understanding of engagement kinematics, zero-effort-miss dynamics, and time-to-go estimation
• Ability to assess impact of fuzing, warhead choice, seeker selection and performance, actuator performance, processing power, threat behavior, and countermeasures on guidance techniques
• Proficiency in rapid prototyping of guidance algorithms from concept through flight test
• Demonstrated ability to develop guidance solutions from first principles for various flight regimes
• Strong simulation and mathematics background
• Experience with guidance in complex, cluttered scenarios

• MATLAB/Simulink for guidance algorithm development and 6-DOF simulation
• Experience with automatic code generation and verification workflows
• Familiarity with trajectory optimization tools (GPOPS, DIDO, or similar)

• Experience with small diameter supersonic missile platforms
• Published work in guidance and control conferences or journals
• Direct experience taking a guidance system from paper design through captive carry and free flight testing

nou Systems, Inc. (nSI) is an ESOP company focused on excellence in engineering, prototype development, and technical services in missile defense, cybersecurity, test range modernization, and space control. We offer significant advancement and career development opportunities in a dynamic, high-tech environment. Our culture emphasizes teamwork and collaboration.

nSI offers a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive compensation, medical and other insurances, 401(k) with ESOP, tuition reimbursement, personal development opportunities, and more. Final compensation is determined by factors such as experience, skills, certifications, and location. U.S. citizenship is required for most positions.

• Seniority level:
  Mid-Senior level
• Employment type:
  
  Full-time
• Job function:
  Engineering and Information Technology
• Industries:
  Defense and Space Manufacturing