GNC Engineer III (Navigation), Eclipse
Firefly Aerospace Inc.
Get more replies from employers
Send a job-specific resume in minutes.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Austin, Texas, seeks a Senior GNC Engineer specializing in navigation and estimation to design and implement navigation systems for launch vehicles. You will develop and tune navigation filters, support hardware-in-the-loop testing, and mentor junior engineers in a fast-paced environment.
The role combines estimation theory, embedded systems, and hands-on flight operations, with opportunities to lead technical work and collaborate across disciplines.
Qualifications
- 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 depth in navigation system design or flight software development.
- Advanced knowledge of state estimation techniques including Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, and covariance analysis.
- Strong understanding of inertial navigation systems, GNSS processing, and navigation sensor error modeling.
- Expertise in real-time software development using C++ for flight-critical applications.
- Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and requirement verification for flight-critical systems.
- Proficiency in software development best practices (Git, documentation, testing) and CI/CD.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
- Master’s degree or PhD in related field.
- Experience developing custom navigation/state estimation algorithms for launch vehicles.
- Advanced filtering techniques (unscented Kalman, particle, adaptive).
- Hands-on experience with launch vehicle sensor systems (FOGs, RLGs, MEMS IMUs, GNSS).
- Knowledge of flight mechanics, gravity, aerodynamics, propulsion; attitude dynamics and control theory.
Responsibilities
- Design, analyze, and tune launch vehicle navigation software for accurate state estimation.
- Implement advanced filtering techniques using inertial and GNSS measurements.
- Develop navigation systems robust to sensor errors and degradations.
- Establish standards and validation methodologies for navigation design and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
- Conduct covariance analysis, sensitivity studies, and performance optimization.
- Support hardware-in-the-loop test campaigns for integrated GNC systems.
- Provide technical direction on system architecture and mentoring for junior engineers.
- Author technical documents and analyses communicating GNC concepts.
Skills
Education
Tools
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.
What does it take to make a lander space-ready? ...
What does it take to make a lander space-ready? ...
What’s hotter than a Texas summer? Our Miranda ...
What’s hotter than a Texas summer? Our Miranda ...
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.
Fireflies believe in perseverance, responsiveness, and mentoring others with a focus on inspiring a better future.
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.
- 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
- 12 weeks paid maternity leave
- 4 weeks paid spouse leave
- $20k towards family planning: fertility, surrogacy, adoption
- Dog friendly workplace
- $10k/year towards trade school or college
- Ongoing coaching to advance leadership skills
- Employee-ownership with stock bonuses
- 4% Safe Harbor 401(k) matching
- $10k bonus for home purchase in Cedar Park, Texas
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 that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24‑hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.
As a Senior GNC Engineer specializing in navigation and estimation at Firefly, you will design and implement navigation systems and state estimation algorithms for operational launch vehicles. In this role, you will develop and tune navigation filters and sensor fusion algorithms, support hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing and system integration, and provide technical leadership while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. This position combines advanced estimation theory, real‑time embedded systems development, and hands‑on flight operations support while mentoring junior engineers in a fast‑paced operational environment.
- Design, analyze, and tune launch vehicle navigation software to ensure accurate state estimation from launch to orbit
- Implement advanced filtering techniques using inertial sensor and GNSS measurements
- Develop navigation systems robust to error sources including inertial sensor bias, GNSS signal degradation, noise, and sensor misalignments
- Establish technical standards and validation methodologies for navigation system design, software development, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing
- Conduct covariance analysis, sensitivity studies, and performance optimization for navigation systems under nominal and off‑nominal flight conditions
- Support hardware‑in‑the‑loop test campaigns for integrated GNC systems including navigation 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 state estimation
- Mentor junior engineers in estimation theory and flight software development
- Author technical documentation and analysis reports that communicate GNC concepts and results to diverse audiences
- Interface with cross‑discipline teams to integrate navigation software with vehicle hardware
- 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
- 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 navigation system design or flight software development
- Advanced knowledge of state estimation techniques including Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, and covariance analysis
- Strong understanding of inertial navigation systems, GNSS processing, and navigation sensor error modeling
- Expertise in real‑time software development using C++ for flight‑critical applications
- Experience developing high‑fidelity sensor models and navigation system testbeds
- Proficiency in hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing and requirement verification for flight‑critical systems
- Understanding of software development best practices including version control (Git), code documentation, and testing
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or related field
- Experience developing custom navigation or state estimation algorithms for launch vehicle applications
- Expertise in advanced filtering techniques such as unscented Kalman filters, particle filters, or adaptive estimation methods
- Hands‑on experience with launch vehicle sensor systems including fiber optic gyros, ring laser gyros, MEMS IMUs, and GNSS receivers
- Advanced knowledge of launch vehicle flight mechanics and high‑fidelity modeling of gravity, aerodynamics, and propulsion
- Advanced knowledge of attitude dynamics and control theory, including rotational dynamics, attitude representations, control moment generation, and stability analysis
- 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
- Proficiency in Python for scripting, data analysis, and automation
- 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.
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
