GN&C Controls Engineer

Moonshot Aerospace; Madison (AL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Moonshot Aerospace is seeking a GN&C Controls Engineer to lead navigation and communications system design for lunar missions. You will own GN&C performance from architecture through flight operations and provide technical leadership to the GN&C team.

This position requires significant depth in spacecraft GN&C design, analysis, and implementation, with the ability to lead development efforts across a complex, multidisciplinary mission.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of professional experience in spacecraft or aerospace vehicle control system design and analysis
• Demonstrated experience with multivariable control system design techniques
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for control system analysis and simulation
• Experience with 6DOF simulation development and execution
• Understanding of spacecraft dynamics, rigid body mechanics, and actuator systems
• Preferred location in the Houston, TX or Huntsville, AL area; remote work may be considered
• Effective written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

• Design spacecraft GN&C system architecture, requirements definition, and design, including attitude control, vehicle stabilization, and pointing
• Develop and oversee GN&C algorithms, perform stability and performance analysis (gain/phase margins, Bode, Nyquist, root locus), and support sensor selection
• Build and maintain 6DOF simulation development and Monte Carlo performance assessments for control system design verification across all mission phases
• Support multi-body dynamics modeling for docking, descent, and landing operations in lunar mission scenarios
• Perform control system verification closure, performance, and margins for compliance with requirements and flight/operational readiness
• Develop and analyze propulsion system control interfaces, including delta-velocity command and thrust vector control, and support actuator sizing
• Support flight software integration and testing of control algorithms, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) test activities
• Contribute to technical documentation, design reviews, and customer deliverables, including design descriptions, analysis reports, and verification plans
• Collaborate with prime contractor, and subcontractor engineering teams

Skills

Multivariable control design

MATLAB/Simulink

6DOF simulation

Spacecraft dynamics

Written & verbal communication

Security clearance eligibility

U.S. citizenship

Education

B.S. in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

M.S./Ph.D. in Aerospace/Controls

Tools

C/C++

HIL/SIL testing frameworks

Job description

Moonshot Aerospace is seeking a GN&C Controls Engineer to provide navigation and communications services for lunar missions. This role owns GN&C system performance from early architecture and design through flight operations and provides technical leadership to the GN&C team supporting the mission.

This position requires significant depth in spacecraft GN&C design, analysis, and implementation, with the ability to lead development efforts across a complex, multidisciplinary mission. The engineer will drive GN&C architecture and requirements, guidance and navigation algorithm development, control law design and tuning, and verification closure, while coordinating closely with avionics, propulsion, structures, software, and systems engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Design spacecraft GN&C system architecture, requirements definition, and design, including attitude control, vehicle stabilization, and pointing

• Develop and oversee GN&C algorithms, perform stability and performance analysis (gain/phase margins, Bode, Nyquist, root locus), and support sensor selection

• Build and maintain 6DOF simulation development and Monte Carlo performance assessments for control system design verification across all mission phases

• Support multi-body dynamics modeling for docking, descent, and landing operations in lunar mission scenarios

• Perform control system verification closure, performance, and margins for compliance with requirements and flight/operational readiness

• Develop and analyze propulsion system control interfaces, including delta-velocity command and thrust vector control, and support actuator sizing

• Support flight software integration and testing of control algorithms, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) test activities

• Contribute to technical documentation, design reviews, and customer deliverables, including design descriptions, analysis reports, and verification plans

• Collaborate with prime contractor, and subcontractor engineering teams

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

• 5+ years of professional experience in spacecraft or aerospace vehicle control system design and analysis

• Demonstrated experience with multivariable control system design techniques

• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for control system analysis and simulation

• Experience with 6DOF simulation development and execution

• Understanding of spacecraft dynamics, rigid body mechanics, and actuator systems

• Preferred location in the Houston, TX or Huntsville, AL area; remote work may be considered

• Effective written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls, or related field

• Experience supporting NASA lunar or human spaceflight programs (HLS, Orion, SLS, ISS)

• Experience with navigation filtering and sensor fusion for deep-space or cislunar missions

• Descent and landing control system design

• Flight software development or integration experience (C/C++)

• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) test campaign experience

• Active security clearance (Secret or above)

• Launch vehicle or satellite control system experience

• Technical publication or conference presentation history