Lead Spacecraft GNC Controls Engineer

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision plans

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short-term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace seeks a Principal Spacecraft GNC Engineer focusing on controls and autonomy to design and implement advanced control systems for operational spacecraft. You will tune attitude control software, support real-time embedded systems, and mentor junior engineers in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities include developing control laws for orbital maneuvers and descent, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and leading validation efforts from development through mission

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a relevant field.
• 8–12 years in spacecraft ADCS with depth in attitude control or flight software.
• Advanced attitude dynamics knowledge and control theory.
• Expertise in real-time software development using C++.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and verification.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical direction on system architecture and spacecraft control.
• Design, analyze, and tune attitude control software for pointing accuracy.
• Own control laws for orbital maneuvers, descent, and landing.
• Develop dynamic models including flex, propellant slosh, and gimbal effects.
• Lead HIL testing, flight software verification, and validation.
• Mentor junior engineers and collaborate across disciplines.

Skills

Attitude dynamics

Control theory

Real-time embedded software

C++ development

Kalman filtering

Model predictive control

GNC systems

Spacecraft ADCS

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field

Master's degree or PhD in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or related field

Tools

Git

RTOS

HIL testing

Job description

Firefly Aerospace seeks a Principal Spacecraft GNC Engineer focusing on controls and autonomy to design and implement advanced control systems for operational spacecraft. You will tune attitude control software, support real-time embedded systems, and mentor junior engineers in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities include developing control laws for orbital maneuvers and descent, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and leading validation efforts from development through mission