Senior GNC Engineer

Job title: GNC Engineer

Location: California

A pioneering aerospace company at the forefront of autonomous orbital operations is looking for a Senior GNC Engineer to help shape the future of space security and spacecraft autonomy.

This is an opportunity to work on genuinely cutting-edge technology developing advanced Guidance, Navigation & Control systems for highly autonomous spacecraft operating in complex orbital environments.

The Role

As a Senior GNC Engineer, you’ll take ownership of core spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control capabilities that sit at the heart of next-generation autonomous missions.

You’ll be involved across the full development lifecycle — from algorithm development and simulation through to flight software integration, testing, and operational deployment.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop advanced GNC architectures for autonomous spacecraft missions
• Design and implement state estimation and navigation algorithms
• Build guidance and control systems for maneuver planning and orbital operations
• Develop autonomous trajectory prediction and collision avoidance capabilities
• Integrate GNC systems into real-time flight software and simulation environments
• Support mission analysis, system validation, and integrated testing campaigns
• Work closely with software, autonomy, perception, and mission systems teams to deliver operational capability

What They’re Looking For

• Strong experience within spacecraft GNC, flight dynamics, or autonomous aerospace systems
• Excellent programming capability in C++ and Python
• Strong understanding of Orbital Mechanics, Spacecraft Dynamics, Kalman Filtering, State Estimation, Sensor Fusion, and Control Systems
• Experience developing software for real-time, safety-critical, or autonomous systems
• Background within aerospace, defence, robotics, or advanced autonomy environments

Why Join?

• Work on genuinely mission-critical autonomous space technology
• Join an elite engineering team solving extremely complex technical challenges
• High ownership and technical freedom
• Fast-moving environment with real impact
• Competitive compensation + equity
• Flexible PTO and strong benefits package
• Opportunity to shape the future of autonomous in-space operations

Due to the nature of the work, candidates must be eligible to work on U.S. defence and space-related programs.