Guidance, Navigation and Controls Engineer
Los Angeles area, California

This is a small satellite company focused on national security space, part of one of the world’s largest aerospace and defence groups. Their missions include missile warning and Earth observation.

They offer startup pace with the stability of the parent business behind it. The work is broad rather than narrow, so engineers here are not pigeonholed into one corner of their discipline.

The GNC team delivers the GNC subsystem for a programme or constellation. That covers subsystem and system level analysis for requirements compliance, sensor and actuator selection, and flight control software development and verification. The team stays involved across the whole programme lifecycle, from mission and system design inputs through to on console support for on orbit operations.

They are hiring at Level 3 and Level 4. At lead level you would be the Responsible Engineering Authority for delivery of the GNC subsystem, either for a single programme or across a portfolio as the GNC focal.

What you will do

• Deliver the GNC subsystem, covering hardware, software and analysis, for a satellite programme
• Perform GNC subsystem design, analysis, software development and component selection to meet programme requirements
• Manage the development of GNC products within programme cost and schedule constraints
• Report technical execution progress to programme and company leadership, and track and mitigate risk
• Interface with other satellite subsystems, systems engineering and programme management to ensure system level performance
• Provide technical leadership to a team of GNC engineers, including decomposition and delegation of tasks

Who this suits

• Someone with a bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience
• 3 or more years with GNC fundamentals
• 1 or more years of spacecraft system level experience
• 1 or more years collaborating with other engineering subsystems and programme leadership
• US citizenship, with the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance. A final Top Secret clearance is required post start
• Level 4 suits someone with 9 or more years of related experience who leads technical direction and mentors others
• Useful extras: satellite I&T and on orbit operations, complex GNC analysis of kinematics, dynamics and control systems, classical and modern control theory, system level trade studies, architecture development, project management fundamentals, mentoring experience, an active TS/SCI clearance

What you get

Hybrid working with every other Friday off. Out of state candidates are welcome, with relocation covered as a lump sum sign on bonus subject to approval. This role is export controlled and requires US Person status. There is no visa sponsorship. The company is a drug free workplace with post offer testing, and successful candidates complete a conflict of interest assessment.

Apply

Send your CV through this advert and we’ll come back to you with the full company details and next steps. Darwin Space is a specialist space industry recruitment firm working exclusively on this vacancy. All applications are treated in confidence.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Adam Slade