Associate GNC Engineer — Spacecraft Attitude & Navigation

Northrop Grumman; Gilbert (AZ); On-site; USD 76,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Company paid holidays and PTO

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a 2026 Associate Guidance Navigation and Control Engineer in Reston/VA area to help design and validate spacecraft GNC subsystems. You will analyze control loops, implement Kalman filters, and develop flight algorithms for ground- and flight-testing in a challenging aerospace environment.

Required qualifications include a Bachelor's (Associate level) or Master’s in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, ability to obtain a security clearance, and strong MATLAB/Simulink

Qualifications

• Be completing or has completed Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution
• Majoring in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Ability to obtain/maintain U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship required)
• GPA 3.4 or higher (preferred)

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude and position control loops
• Design, analyze, and tune sequential filters for attitude determination
• Develop flight algorithms for GNC and support flight software qualification testing
• Analyze GNC subsystem performance using simulations and analytic tools
• Support early design phase concept development including actuator sizing and sensor placement
• Develop simulation models for sensors, actuators, dynamics, and space environment
• Document designs and present results to stakeholders
• Collaborate within small- to mid-sized teams

Skills

GNC system design

Kalman filtering

Spacecraft dynamics

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Eng

Master's Degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Eng

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

C/C++

Model Based Systems Eng

Git/SVN

Job description

Northrop Grumman is seeking a 2026 Associate Guidance Navigation and Control Engineer in Reston/VA area to help design and validate spacecraft GNC subsystems. You will analyze control loops, implement Kalman filters, and develop flight algorithms for ground- and flight-testing in a challenging aerospace environment.

Required qualifications include a Bachelor's (Associate level) or Master’s in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, ability to obtain a security clearance, and strong MATLAB/Simulink