Lead GNC Engineer — Spacecraft Guidance & Control

Jet Propulsion Laboratory; United States; On-site; USD 146,000 - 183,000; Full time

Job summary

Jet Propulsion Laboratory seeks a cleared Guidance and Control Engineer in Pasadena, California to advance GNC architectures, designs, simulations, and flight software. You will lead teams, deliver algorithms, and verify performance for spaceflight systems with an emphasis on precision pointing and autonomous operations.

The role requires an active TS/SCI clearance and a strong background in modern GNC, Kalman filtering, and multi‑rigid‑body dynamics, along with effective communication and

Qualifications

• Must have an active TS/SCI clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field with a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience; or a Master’s degree with a minimum of 4 years of experience; or a PhD with a minimum of 2 years of experience.
• Strong technical background in modern guidance, navigation, estimation, and control for aerospace systems

Responsibilities

• Conceiving, designing, analyzing, simulating, and evaluating complex GNC subsystem performance
• Delivering advanced algorithms and associated flight software code for integration and test at the GNC subsystem and system level
• Developing and executing detailed subsystem test and verification plans at the system level
• Leading teams that develop and operate GNC systems and coordinating the validation and documentation of subsystem performance prior to delivery

Skills

Guidance & control systems

Team leadership

Communication skills

GNC architectures

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical or Computer Engineering (related)

Master’s degree in a related field

PhD in a related field

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Jet Propulsion Laboratory seeks a cleared Guidance and Control Engineer in Pasadena, California to advance GNC architectures, designs, simulations, and flight software. You will lead teams, deliver algorithms, and verify performance for spaceflight systems with an emphasis on precision pointing and autonomous operations.

The role requires an active TS/SCI clearance and a strong background in modern GNC, Kalman filtering, and multi‑rigid‑body dynamics, along with effective communication and