Flight Dynamics and Control Engineer

Darwin Recruitment; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Recruitment is seeking a Flight Dynamics Engineer for an in‑office role in Los Angeles. You will lead integration, simulation, and live flight operations of flight dynamics systems for satellite builds, focusing on attitude control, guidance and propulsion interfaces.

The role requires 5+ years in spacecraft flight dynamics, proficiency with STK and programming in Python/C++/MATLAB, and strong leadership abilities to mentor junior engineers and drive innovative processes within a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in aerospace engineering or related field required.
• 5+ years in spacecraft flight dynamics, incl. attitude control and propulsion.
• Proficiency with mission design software and flight dynamics tools.
• Strong programming skills in Python, C++, or MATLAB for modeling.

Responsibilities

• Lead integration, vendor management, interfaces and performance requirements for ADCS, propulsion and hardware GNC.
• Develop high‑fidelity flight dynamics models for trajectory analysis, momentum management and propellant budgeting.
• Develop and tune control laws for pointing, detumbling, and station‑keeping.
• Collaborate with AI&T and Avionics to calibrate flight dynamics hardware within the spacecraft bus.
• Transition to on‑console operations, handling anomalies and maneuvers.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Document design processes, test results and system performance.

Skills

Flight dynamics

Attitude control

Propulsion systems

Programming

Leadership

Problem solving

Documentation

ESD protocols

Clean room

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in aerospace engineering or related field

Tools

STK

Python

MATLAB

C++

Job description

Flight Dynamics Engineer

Role Description

We are seeking a Flight Dynamics Engineer to join our flight program team. This is a full-time, in-office role for an experienced professional with hands‑on work experience in flight dynamics. This role focuses on attitude control, guidance, navigation, simulation, hardware integration, troubleshooting, and live flight operations. In this role, you will lead the integration, simulation, testing, and real‑time operations of flight dynamics systems for our satellite builds to ensure seamless performance on orbit.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the technical integration, vendor management, interface and performance requirements for ADCS, propulsion systems, and hardware GNC components.
• Develop high‑fidelity flight dynamics models to do trajectory analysis, momentum management, and propellant budgeting using tools like STK or custom Python simulations.
• Develop and tune control laws for pointing requirements, detumbling, and station‑keeping.
• Work with the AI&T and Avionics teams to ensure flight dynamics hardware is integrated and calibrated correctly within the spacecraft bus.
• Transition from the design and simulation phase into “on-console” operations, handling flight dynamics‑related anomalies and maneuvers.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Document design processes, test results, and system performance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft flight dynamics, including experience with attitude control and propulsion systems.
• Proficiency in mission design software and flight dynamics simulation tools.
• Proficiency in programming (Python, C++, or MATLAB) for modeling flight dynamics and flight software integration.
• Experience working in clean room environments and adhering to ESD protocols.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including mentoring junior engineers and driving innovation in engineering processes.
• Strong ability to collaborate effectively in a dynamic environment while maintaining a positive and professional attitude.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail.

Company Description

We are a Los Angeles-based spacecraft technology company established to capitalize on a rapidly evolving space landscape and the urgent need to deliver resilient orbital capabilities to maintain and increase our national science and security interests. We combine serious space flight experience with an open minded, first‑principles approach, leveraging advanced computational design and Industry 4.0 practices to deliver custom spacecraft and mission solutions with industry leading speed, precision, and reliability. We seek to enable every payload and mission with a fully custom, purpose‑built spacecraft bus, designed and delivered using our patent-pending, automated computational design platform, with industry leading reliability.

Equal Opportunity

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity regardless of an applicant’s age, disability, sex, race, religion, gender, national origin, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We will provide reasonable accommodation to an applicant with a disability or religious belief to enable the applicant to apply for the position.