Hypersonics GNC Engineer II - Launch Vehicle Dynamics

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision plans

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a GNC Engineer II to design, analyze, and operate GNC systems for operational launch vehicles. You will develop GNC software, run simulations, and perform dynamic analyses while supporting mission operations in a fast-paced environment.

The role offers growth toward senior GNC responsibilities and hands-on experience with ascent guidance and real-time flight operations. The successful candidate will apply Python and C++ in flight-critical applications, work with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, or related field.
• 2-5 years of professional experience in aerospace guidance, navigation, and control, or related technical discipline.
• Understanding of launch vehicle flight mechanics and attitude dynamics.
• Familiarity with numerical simulation techniques, integration methods, and modeling of dynamic systems.
• Experience with Python for scripting, data analysis, and visualization.
• Familiarity with C++ for real‑time or flight‑critical applications.
• Understanding of software development best practices including version control (Git), code documentation, and testing.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate GNC software to ensure successful launch vehicle mission execution
• Tune and configure attitude determination and control algorithms for all phases of launch vehicle flight
• Perform 6DOF dynamic analysis of nominal and dispersed ascent trajectories
• Develop and maintain simulation models for sensors, actuators, and environmental effects
• Create tools to automate workflows, process flight data, and generate technical reports
• Conduct stability analysis, sensitivity studies, and hardware-in-the-loop testing of GNC systems under nominal and off‑nominal flight conditions
• Interface with cross-discipline teams to integrate GNC software with vehicle hardware
• Serve as a GNC console operator for launch operations and perform post‑flight analysis to improve vehicle models
• Author technical documentation and analysis reports that communicate GNC concepts and results to diverse audiences
• Build proficiency across core GNC competencies while contributing to continuous improvement of GNC processes and tools

Skills

Python

C++

Git

Data analysis

Flight mechanics

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or related field

Tools

Linux

Real-time systems

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a GNC Engineer II to design, analyze, and operate GNC systems for operational launch vehicles. You will develop GNC software, run simulations, and perform dynamic analyses while supporting mission operations in a fast-paced environment.

The role offers growth toward senior GNC responsibilities and hands-on experience with ascent guidance and real-time flight operations. The successful candidate will apply Python and C++ in flight-critical applications, work with