GNC Engineer/Principal GNC Engineer
Listed on 2025-12-22
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Engineering
Aerospace / Aviation / Avionics, Robotics, Systems Engineer, Electrical Engineering
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE TYPE:
Top Secret
TRAVEL:
Yes, 10% of the Time
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon.
We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.
Northrop Grumman's Space Systems is seeking a motivated candidate that will fill the position of GNC Engineer/Principal Engineer within our Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) department, located in Dulles, Virginia. We are seeking highly talented and ambitious engineers with backgrounds in Machine Perception including Computer Vision (CV) and Celestial Navigation.
Experience and/or education in spacecraft navigation, robotics, and/or embedded processing is preferred.
A spacecraft GNC engineer is expected to:Design, develop, integrate, and test machine perception algorithms for real-time on-board processing on space vehicles and near-real-time processing within ground systems
Conduct rigorous testing, validation, and tuning of celestial navigation algorithms
Collaborate with other engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of machine perception systems with the overall space system
Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude and position control loops using time and frequency domain techniques
Design, analyze, and tune sequential filters (e.g. Kalman filters) for attitude determination and relative navigation
Analyze and test the spacecraft GNC subsystem performance using simulations and other analytic tools
Implement GNC algorithms in flight software and support flight software qualification testing
Perform analysis to support early design phase concept development including actuator sizing and placement, sensor selection and placement, and predicted performance assessments
Develop simulation models for sensors (e.g. star tracker, rate gyro, accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer, sun sensors), actuators (e.g. reaction wheel, torque bar, thruster, CMG), system dynamics (e.g. rigid body, multi-body, orbit mechanics, flexible models), and the space environment (e.g. atmospheric, solar radiation pressure, third-body gravity, geopotential)
Apply engineering principles, industry standards, company process, and knowledge of machine perception, vehicle dynamics, propulsion, classical/modern control, and estimation theory to perform tasks to advance program/project goals
Document designs, analysis, and test results, and generate presentation material
Participate in peer reviews with internal and external customers
Work well within small- to medium-sized groups
Engineer Level: BS Degree in Engineering, Physics, or Math with at least 2 years of professional experience (0 years with Masters)
Principal Level : BS Degree in Engineering, Physics, or Math with at least 5 years of professional experience (3 years with Masters, or 0 years with Ph.D.).
Active Top Secret clearance and eligibility for SCI at the time of application. U.S. citizenship is required for this position.
MS or PhD degree in engineering, physics, or math
Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, C/C++, and Python
Experience with Computer Vision and/or Celestial Navigation algorithms to support space vehicle navigation
Experience in spacecraft MP subsystem design, analysis, and testing
Experience implementing MP algorithms on embedded systems
Prior work experience in a related field
Proficiency with version control systems such…
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