Hypersonics GNC Engineer II - Launch Vehicle Dynamics

Firefly Aerospace; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision plans

Educational reimbursement

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, Texas, seeks a GNC Engineer to design, analyze, and operate the GNC systems of launch vehicles. You will develop GNC software, run dynamic analyses, and support mission operations in a fast-paced environment.

This role provides hands-on experience with ascent guidance, attitude control, and real-time flight operations, with opportunities to grow toward a senior GNC position. A strong aerospace background, programming skills (Python and C++), and experience in state

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
• Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in aerospace engineering or related field with focus on GNC, flight mechanics, or controls
• Experience supporting launch vehicle GNC across development, integration, and flight
• Proficiency in C++ for embedded systems or real‑time applications
• Knowledge of state estimation techniques including Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, and covariance analysis
• Knowledge of numerical optimization and targeting methods applied to trajectory design
• Familiarity with modern flight software frameworks and real‑time operating systems
• Familiarity with CI/CD workflows and automated testing practices
• Experience with Linux development environments and command‑line tools
• Exposure to spaceflight mission operations or launch campaigns

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 scripting

C++ (embedded/flight)

Git

CI/CD

Linux

Real-time systems

State estimation

Trajectory design

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering/related field

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in aerospace/related field with GNC focus

Job description

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, Texas, seeks a GNC Engineer to design, analyze, and operate the GNC systems of launch vehicles. You will develop GNC software, run dynamic analyses, and support mission operations in a fast-paced environment.

This role provides hands-on experience with ascent guidance, attitude control, and real-time flight operations, with opportunities to grow toward a senior GNC position. A strong aerospace background, programming skills (Python and C++), and experience in state