GNC Engineer III, Launch Vehicles

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

Austin, Northern (TX, KY)

Hybrid

USD 120,000 - 180,000

Full time

9 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision insurance

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Austin is seeking a Senior GNC Engineer to design and implement advanced control systems, autonomous flight software, and guidance algorithms for operational launch vehicles.

You will develop attitude control software, design and optimize trajectories, and support hardware-in-the-loop testing and system integration. This role combines advanced control theory with real-time embedded development and hands-on flight operations support while mentoring junior engineers in a

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical, electrical, computer science, or related field.
5–10 years of experience in launch vehicle GNC or related areas with depth in attitude control, flight software, trajectory design, or guidance.
Advanced knowledge of attitude dynamics and control theory; familiarity with Kalman filtering and state estimation.

Responsibilities

Design, analyze, and tune launch vehicle attitude control software for reliable flight.
Develop guidance algorithms for powered ascent and orbital insertion.
Design and optimize launch vehicle trajectories within constraints.
Support hardware-in-the-loop testing and system integration.
Mentor junior engineers in control theory, flight software, and trajectory optimization.

Skills

Attitude control

Flight software

Trajectory design

Real-time C++

GNC systems

Python scripting

Kalman filtering

CI/CD practices

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or related field

Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace or related field

Tools

POST

OTIS

TAOS

Real-time OS

Job description

At Firefly, we’re focused on making space attainable for everyone – including you! Each team member’s passion, dedication, and innovative ideas have a direct impact on fueling our successful trajectory into space. And there’s no shortage of meaningful projects to work on at Firefly. With launch, lunar, and orbital vehicles, Firefly has a diverse line of business with opportunities to get hands‑on experience launching rockets, operating in space, and landing on the Moon.

As we head into the holiday weekend, we’re proud ...

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Headquartered in the Lone Star State, Firefly’s hardworking team reflects Texas’ GO BIG culture in everything we do. We build big, achieve big, and dream big. We’re building launch vehicles and spacecraft to provide rapid, reliable space access. We’ve achieved some incredible wins, including the first successful commercial Moon landing. And we’re dreaming bigger than this planet with ambitions to Mars, Venus, and beyond. Our core values are what drive us along the way.

Passion

Fireflies believe in perseverance, responsiveness, and mentoring others with a focus on inspiring a better future.

Accountability

Fireflies act with integrity and take ownership of our actions, commitments, decisions, and outcomes.

Fireflies work in alignment across teams and communicate clearly with mutual respect for one another.

Fireflies deliver high-quality work through technical rigor and timely disciplined execution for our customers.

We take care of our Fireflies with some of the best benefits in the industry. Our mission to make space for everyone starts with our employees and allowing them to make space for their family, their career, and their future.

Space for You

Unlimited PTO for exempt employees
3-month sabbatical for every 5 years of service
Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
Mental health services
Paid military leave

Space for Your Family

12 weeks paid maternity leave
4 weeks paid spouse leave
$20k towards family planning: fertility, surrogacy, adoption
Dog friendly workplace

Space for Your Career

$10k/year towards trade school or college
Ongoing coaching to advance leadership skills

Space for Your Future

Employee-ownership with stock bonuses
4% Safe Harbor 401(k) matching
$10k bonus for home purchase in Cedar Park, Texas

Job Openings

From launch technicians to propulsion engineers, Firefly has open roles across the company. We’re looking for passionate, bright innovators to join our team and help make space an achievable dream for everyone.

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

SUMMARY

As a Senior GNC Engineer at Firefly Aerospace, you will design and implement advanced control systems, autonomous flight software, and guidance algorithms for operational launch vehicles. In this role, you will develop and tune attitude control software, design and optimize trajectories, and support hardware-in-the-loop testing and system integration. This position combines advanced control theory, real-time embedded systems development, and hands-on flight operations support while mentoring junior engineers in a fast‑paced operational environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Design, analyze, and tune launch vehicle attitude control software to ensure stable flight from launch to orbit
Implement control techniques for mission-critical flight phases using thrust vector control actuators, reaction control thrusters, and aerodynamic surfaces
Develop control systems accounting for complex launch vehicle dynamics including aerodynamic effects, structural flex modes, propellant slosh, and control structure interaction
Design, analyze, and optimize launch vehicle trajectories to maximize performance within operational and vehicle constraints
Develop and implement launch vehicle guidance algorithms for powered ascent and orbital insertion
Conduct stability analysis, sensitivity studies, and performance optimization for control systems under nominal and off-nominal flight conditions
Conduct statistical trajectory analysis to quantify performance margins and validate system robustness to off-nominal flight conditions
Establish technical standards and validation methodologies for control system design, software development, and hardware-in-the-loop testing
Support hardware-in-the-loop test campaigns for integrated GNC systems including control algorithm validation, flight software verification, and system-level performance testing
Drive resolution of complex GNC challenges requiring deep technical expertise and rapid problem-solving
Provide technical direction on system architecture and serve as subject matter expert for launch vehicle control and trajectories
Mentor junior engineers in control theory, flight software development, trajectory optimization, and mission design
Author technical documentation and analysis reports that communicate GNC concepts and results to diverse audiences
Interface with cross-discipline teams to integrate control software with vehicle hardware and balance trajectory requirements with vehicle capabilities and operational constraints
Serve as a GNC console operator for launch operations and perform post-flight analysis to improve vehicle models
Champion continuous improvement initiatives for GNC processes, tools, and operational efficiency

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field
5-10 years of experience in launch vehicle GNC systems with significant depth in attitude control system design, flight software development, trajectory design, mission planning, or guidance algorithm development
Advanced knowledge of attitude dynamics and control theory, including rotational dynamics, attitude representations, control moment generation, and stability analysis
Strong understanding of classical control theory and frequency domain analysis techniques
Expertise in real-time software development using C++ for flight-critical applications
Experience developing high-fidelity actuator models and attitude control system testbeds
Advanced knowledge of launch vehicle flight mechanics and high-fidelity modeling of gravity, aerodynamics, and propulsion
Strong understanding of numerical optimization and targeting methods applied to trajectory simulation and mission design
Experience conducting mission trade studies, feasibility analysis, and performance verification for launch vehicle missions
Proficiency in hardware-in-the-loop testing and requirement verification for flight- critical systems
Familiarity with software development best practices including version control (Git), code documentation, and testing
Strong proficiency in one or more trajectory design software tools (POST, OTIS, TAOS, or similar)
Proficiency in Python for scripting, data analysis, and automation
Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or related field
Experience architecting and implementing control systems for operational launch vehicles from development through flight
Expertise in advanced control techniques such as nonlinear control methods, optimal control, model predictive control, or adaptive control applied to launch vehicle applications
Hands‑on experience with launch vehicle actuator systems including thrust vector control actuators, reaction control thrusters, and aerodynamic surfaces
Advanced knowledge of state estimation techniques including Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, and covariance analysis
Advanced knowledge of numerical methods for control law tuning, root-solving, and parameter optimization
Experience with modern flight software frameworks and real-time operating systems
Software engineering expertise with proficiency in development practices including version control, code review, testing, documentation, and CI/CD workflows
Working knowledge of launch vehicle systems and mission operations
Proven ability to develop junior engineers while managing technical responsibilities
Track record of thought leadership through publications, presentations, or contributions to industry state-of-the-art

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status

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