Guidance, Navigation, & Controls (GNC) Engineer

Impulse Space; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 125,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision & dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Impulse Space seeks a Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer to own all GNC aspects for high‑performance space vehicles, from development to operation, within a fast, agile Boulder County team.

You will implement GNC flight, test, and analysis systems, develop algorithms for satellites in LEO/GEO, large upper stages, and landers, and generate verification data for mission suites. Senior staff mentor and shape best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of experience in spacecraft GNC design and analysis.
• Proficiency in Matlab and C++.
• Experience with performing control analysis in time and frequency domains, estimation theory, or astrodynamics.

Responsibilities

• Implement GNC flight, test, and analysis systems for high-performance space vehicles produced at scale.
• Develop robust algorithms for spacecraft: satellites in LEO and GEO, large upper stages, and landers.
• Generate GNC verification data for Impulse Space’s suite of missions.
• Participate in GNC software development, both flight code and simulation.
• For Senior and higher, mentor other engineers and define the best practices for vehicle GNC.
• Create tools to be used for all flight vehicle GNC systems, enabling missions to be realized quickly.
• Resolve technical issues with innovative, resourceful solutions.
• Communicate design needs, intent, and capability to the broader engineering team.

Skills

GNC design

Astrodynamics

Control theory

Time-domain analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Matlab

C++

Job description

Department: Autonomous Systems

Location: Boulder County

Compensation: $125,000 - $155,000 / year

Description

As a Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer at Impulse Space, you will own all aspects of and provide outstanding technical contribution to vehicle GNC in all phases of development and operation while working closely with a fast paced, agile team.

Responsibilities

• Implement GNC flight, test, and analysis systems for high-performance space vehicles produced at scale
• Develop robust algorithms for spacecraft: satellites in LEO and GEO, large upper stages, and landers
• Generate GNC verification data for Impulse’s suite of missions
• Participate in GNC software development, both flight code and simulation
• For Senior and higher, mentor other engineers and define the best practices for vehicle GNC
• Create tools to be used for all flight vehicle GNC systems, enabling missions to be realized quickly
• Resolve technical issues with innovative, resourceful solutions
• Communicate design needs, intent, and capability to the broader engineering team

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline
• 2+ years of experience in spacecraft GNC design and analysis
• Proficiency in Matlab and C++
• Experience with performing control analysis in time and frequency domains, estimation theory, or astrodynamics

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Demonstrated experience in upper stage or lander control
• Demonstrated experience with rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) or formation flying
• Experience in a startup or agile development environment
• Experience in spacecraft operations
• Experience with vehicle-GNC design processes, from concept, through design reviews and implementation

Additional Information

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan. Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here. Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of 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.