Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineering Analyst – Level 5

0909 SP - Orbital Space Systems; United States; On-site; USD 177,000 - 265,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

0909 SP - Orbital Space Systems is seeking a Senior Guidance, Navigation, & Control Engineering Analyst in Dulles, VA. This role is pivotal in shaping missions that affect national security and space exploration.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience, a strong clearance, and proficiency in software development using MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++. The position offers competitive salary packages and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in engineering, or corresponding education with lesser experience.
• Active U.S. Government Top‑Secret clearance required.
• Experience in GNC subsystem design, navigation filtering, and control systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze spacecraft control loops.
• Develop simulation models for sensors and actuators.
• Document designs and present to customers.

Skills

Software development in MATLAB/Simulink

C/C++ programming

GNC subsystem design and analysis

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

SVN

Git

Job description

About the Role

Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a senior Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) Engineering Analyst – Level 5 located in Dulles, VA, you will be integral to missions that impact national security and space exploration. The position is 100% onsite, with a 9/80 schedule (every other Friday off), and requires relocation assistance and a top‑secret clearance with SCI (Substantial SCI/SAP) access.

Job Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude and position control loops using time and frequency domain techniques.
• Design and analyze relative guidance solutions for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).
• Design, analyze, and tune sequential filters (e.g., Kalman filters) for attitude determination and relative navigation.
• Analyze and test the spacecraft GNC subsystem performance using simulations and other analytic tools.
• Support early‑design phase concepts, including actuator sizing/placement, sensor selection, guidance, RPO and docking analyses, and performance assessments.
• Develop simulation models for sensors (star tracker, rate gyro, accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer, sun sensors), actuators (reaction wheel, torque bar, thruster, CMG), system dynamics, and space environment.
• Apply engineering principles, industry standards, and company processes to achieve program objectives.
• Document designs, analysis, and test results; create presentation materials.
• Present designs, analysis, and test results to internal and external customers.
• Work effectively within small‑ to medium‑size teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 12 years of professional experience, or Master’s degree with 10 years of experience, or PhD with 8 years of experience. An additional 4+ years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Active U.S. Government Top‑Secret clearance at the time of application, current and within scope, with ability to obtain and maintain SCI approval/access.
• Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++.
• Experience in GNC subsystem design, analysis, and testing; includes ADCS.
• Understanding of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, navigation filtering, and control systems design.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current/Active SCI and/or SAP; MS or PhD in engineering, physics, or math.
• Experience with version control tools such as SVN or Git.
• Experience implementing spacecraft GNC algorithms on embedded systems.
• Experience with on‑orbit vehicle operations, commanding, debugging, and flight telemetry.
• Experience with RPO algorithms, practices, and planning strategies.
• Experience with GNC design, analysis, hardware integration & test, or flight operations.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• Prior membership or leadership roles in professional groups, clubs, or extracurricular activities.

Benefits

Salary range: $177,000 – $265,600 (base). Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, discretionary bonus, and long‑term incentives for senior positions. Health insurance, life and disability insurance, savings plan, company‑paid holidays, and paid time off (vacation or personal) are provided.

EEO Statement

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.