Sentinel - Staff Engineer Guidance Navigation Control

Job Summary

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is hiring a Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Staff Engineer (level
5) to join its team in Roy, UT, Huntsville, AL or Manhattan Beach, CA, supporting the Sentinel Program. The role involves working on ICBM ground and airborne launch control systems, launch facilities, and associated infrastructure for the Air Force.

The selected engineer will join the team supporting activities including flight simulator development, GNC algorithm development and implementation, “test as you fly” test development, model verification and validation, and requirements validation.

• Work in multi-disciplinary teams to develop, verify, and validate a complex 6-degree of freedom missile flight simulator.
• Design and implement guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) algorithms.
• Develop software tools for analyzing GN&C performance.
• Conduct system performance assessments for performance against mission requirements.
• Perform GN&C system and accuracy analysis of flight tests.

• Bachelor of Science in STEM with 12 years of experience; 10 years of experience with a master’s degree; or 8 years with a PhD.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen with an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application with an investigation completed within the last 6 years.
• 8 years of experience in guidance, navigation, or control algorithm development and/or analysis for launch vehicles, missiles, spacecraft, and/or aircraft applications.
• 3 years of experience in high-level programming languages (MATLAB, C++) and Object-Oriented Programming design.

• Master’s or PhD Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• DoD Top Secret clearance.
• Experience in sensor navigation, including inertial, radio, and/or optical navigation techniques.
• Experience in strategic missile guidance and implementation of guidance algorithms.
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative & dynamic team-based environment.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management.
• Experience in trajectory optimization, non-linear control, and/or adaptive/autonomous flight control systems.
• Experience with optimal state estimation filters (e.g., Kalman).
• Knowledge of machine learning applications for adaptive flight control.
• Demonstrated proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, C/C++, Python, and/or other tools for GN&C simulation and development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of aerodynamic modeling, flight mechanics, missile/re-entry vehicle dynamics.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing, embedded control systems, and real-time software integration.
• Experience in software version control system (e.g., Git) and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) practices.

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• 401(k)
• Educational Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness Resources
• Employee Discounts

Primary level salary range: $ – $. Salary is based on scope and responsibilities, experience, education, and market conditions. Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus. Annual bonuses reward contributions and company results. Long‑term incentives may be available for VP or Director positions. This position’s standard work schedule is 9/80, allowing a free Friday every other week.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit  U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.