GNC Engineer, Space

Anduril Industries; Washington; On-site; USD 166,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a GNC Engineer for the Space team to design and implement guidance, navigation and control systems for satellites, including hardware sensors, orbit mechanics, and flight software.

You will collaborate with Systems, Flight Software, Mission Operations, and Ground Software to validate GNC solutions across multiple missions from LEO to GEO, supporting ground tests, on-orbit operations, and mission planning.

Qualifications

• Strong engineering background in aerospace, dynamics, or related fields.
• Experience with MATLAB, Simulink, Python, C++, Go, or Linux systems.
• Ability to navigate complex systems and detailed requirements.
• Experience with orbital mechanics and space object tracking.
• Familiarity with rendezvous/docking and spacecraft attitude control.
• Clear communication and documentation skills.
• Must be eligible for U.S. Top Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Work spacecraft GNC software and hardware subsystems for various spacecraft efforts.
• Develop software-defined approaches to autonomous spacecraft operations.

Skills

MATLAB

Simulink

Python

C++

Go

Linux

Education

Aerospace Engineering

Control Theory

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril’s Space team is dedicated to expanding our AI-powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing Space Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners. We’re developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain a decisive advantage in this contested warfighting domain.

ABOUT THE JOB

As a GNC (Guidance, Navigation & Control) Engineer for our Space team, you will work on and understand the design of all satellite GNC subsystems to include but not limited to hardware sensors and actuators, orbit mechanics, navigation algorithms, flight software implementation, subsystem integration & test (I&T), and vehicle I&T. The GNC engineering team will work closely with related teams, including Systems, Flight Software, Mission Operations, and Ground Software. The GNC Engineer will work algorithm design, truth and physics modeling, simulation and analysis for a wide variety of spacecraft and space missions to include but not limited to LEO, MEO, GEO, Reentry, and RPOD (Rendezvous Proximity Operations and Docking). The Sr. GNC Engineer will help lead successful implementation, validation and GNC operations of Anduril’s fleet of spacecraft.

This role is directly tied to ongoing, funded programs within Anduril’s Space Business Line. The programs require building and fielding a resilient, software-defined spacecraft systems across numerous mission threads. We work with mission partners and customers to deploy reliable and robust capabilities on operationally-relevant fielding timelines to meet complex challenges across the DOD and IC_._

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Work spacecraft GNC software and hardware subsystems for various spacecraft efforts in all orbital regimes and work closely with bus providers for successful implementation
• Develop modern, software-defined approaches to autonomous spacecraft operations with maneuvering capabilities to successfully accomplish mission objectives
• Develop appropriate test plans and procedures to validate the GNC system during ground checkout, on-orbit commissioning and operations
• Collaborate across multiple teams to plan, build, and test complex functionality.
• Coordinate with end-users, other operators and customers to turn needs into features while balancing user experience with engineering constraints.
• Support challenging schedules during ground testing, launch windows and on-orbit operations of the spacecraft systems.
• Design of flight software, algorithms, and simulation products.
• Development of spacecraft autonomy tools for dynamic space operations
• Test process development and execution.
• Define automated fault detection and responses.
• Provide hardware-in-the-loop and monte-carlo simulation capabilities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong engineering background from industry or school, ideally in areas/fields such as Aerospace Engineering, Dynamics and Controls Engineering, Computer Science, or other engineering degree.
• Experience with MATLAB, Simulink, Python, C++, Go, and/or Linux Systems.
• Ability to quickly understand and navigate complex systems and detailed requirements.
• Experience with orbital mechanics and resident space object tracking capabilities
• Familiarity with rendezvous proximity operations and docking, orbital mechanics with propulsive spacecraft, and/or spacecraft attitude determination and controls
• Strong knowledge of spacecraft dynamics, orbital mechanics, and control theory.
• Clear communication and organizational skills including documentation and training material.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with MATLAB, Simulink, Python, Go, C++ and/or Linux systems.
• A desire to work on critical software and hardware designs in the space domain.
• Experience testing propulsion subsystems in laboratory environments that mimic the space environmental constraints.
• Experience conducting spacecraft operations and satellite command and control with an emphasis on system reliability and uptime.
• Experience with testing/validation leveraging FlatSats, Hardware-in-the-Loop testbeds and digital spacecraft simulators through nominal and fault scenarios.
• Experience with computer vision and perception algorithms to support GNC operations.
• Experience developing 3-DOF simplified and 6-DOF high-fidelity dynamics simulation models used for GNC systems analysis and validation.
• Exposure to US satellite operations policy and constraints for relevant mission threads in all orbits.

US Salary Range

$166,000—$220,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril’s total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Benefits

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril’s candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.