Lead GN&C Guidance & Flight Controls Engineer

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 197,529 - 276,539; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with match up to 5%

Stock options

Paid time off + parental leave

Job summary

Blue Origin seeks a Senior GN&C Engineer to advance guidance, navigation, and control for lunar missions. You’ll develop guidance algorithms, perform trajectory design trade studies, and implement flight software with cross‑functional teams across Earth to cis‑lunar orbits.

Responsibilities include RPOD maneuver planning, collaboration with subsystems, and validation in SIL/HIL environments. Experience with Rust, C/C++, and Python is valued, as is strong communication and safety culture.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering or Physics with 12+ years of experience or M.S. with 10+ years of experience.
• Deep knowledge of astrodynamics, orbital mechanics, attitude kinematics and dynamics.
• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in spacecraft guidance, including maneuver planning, targeting, and optimization.
• Established background in GN&C algorithm development specifically for flight and attitude control using classical and modern control methods.
• Knowledgeable in frequency domain analysis techniques.
• Robust understanding of controller stability derivatives and stability margins with respect to spacecraft dynamics, flexible body dynamics, and slosh dynamics.
• Demonstrated experience with control law design for aerospace vehicles.
• Familiarity with development of requirements, interfaces, trades and analyses for aerospace GN&C applications.
• Understand the relationship between attitude control, vehicle configuration, spacecraft dynamics, actuators, sensors, and automation.
• Hands‑on development with C/C++
• Experience with collaboration tools such as Gitlab, Confluence, and JIRA
• Strong grasp of software and data configuration management techniques and tools
• Highly organized teammate with excellent technical written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and give to a culture of safety.

Responsibilities

• Derive spacecraft guidance designs from mission level trajectory designs.
• Coordinate performance requirements between GN&C and mission planning.
• Develop and maintain both established and bespoke guidance algorithms for orbital maneuvers in various Earth and cis-lunar orbits, including rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) maneuvers.
• Develop and sustain flight control algorithms for spacecraft operating complex missions.
• Perform trade studies for efficient and robust maneuver targeting sequences, including nominal and contingency maneuvers during RPOD.
• Perform trade studies driving maturity of detailed spacecraft and mission design.
• Collaborate with communication, propulsion, structures, fluids, and mechanisms subsystems to ensure system level design closure.
• Develop and maintain software for flight systems and simulations.
• Integrate and test software in SIL and HIL environments.
• Implement controls algorithms and subsystem component models in an integrated 6-DOF simulation environment using Rust, C/C++, and Python.
• Develop toolsets for automated requirements, configuration, and performance analyses.
• Support internal and external reviews with data products and reports.

Skills

C/C++ development

GN&C experience

trajectory optimization

attitude control

communication

Education

B.S. Aerospace Engineering or Physics

PhD in guidance/controls (preferred)

Tools

Gitlab

Confluence

JIRA

Rust

Job description

Blue Origin seeks a Senior GN&C Engineer to advance guidance, navigation, and control for lunar missions. You’ll develop guidance algorithms, perform trajectory design trade studies, and implement flight software with cross‑functional teams across Earth to cis‑lunar orbits.

Responsibilities include RPOD maneuver planning, collaboration with subsystems, and validation in SIL/HIL environments. Experience with Rust, C/C++, and Python is valued, as is strong communication and safety culture.