Manager, Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineering

Pace Industries, LLC; Louisville (CO); On-site; USD 167,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Sierra Space in Louisville, CO seeks a Manager, Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) Engineering to lead the technical direction and management of GNC activities supporting spacecraft, aircraft, and autonomous systems. This role blends hands-on technical contribution with people leadership, supervising engineers across design, analysis, and testing disciplines.

You will translate plans into schedules and risk‑mitigate while ensuring quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of two years of GNC engineering management experience.
• Knowledge of GNC principles: control theory, state estimation, sensor fusion, trajectory optimization.
• Experience with GNC simulation tools (MATLAB/Simulink) and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Ability to translate GNC plans into operational plans and procedures.
• Balance technical execution with managerial responsibilities.
• Experience supervising engineering teams in GNC design, analysis, testing.
• Strong communication skills for diverse stakeholders.
• Active Top Secret with SCI eligibility U.S. Security Clearance required.

Responsibilities

• Lead GNC engineering activities across spacecraft, aircraft, and autonomous systems.
• Supervise engineers across design, analysis, and testing.
• Translate functional GNC plans into operational plans, procedures, and schedules.
• Ensure technical rigor, quality, and on-time delivery; manage risk, budget, and schedule.
• Develop control and estimation models and GNC simulations; direct hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Communicate complex GNC concepts to engineering teams, program management, and customers.
• Model and uphold company values; drive continuous improvement of GNC methodologies.

Skills

GNC principles

Control theory

State estimation

Sensor fusion

Trajectory optimization

GNC simulation tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Hardware-in-the-loop testing

People leadership

Engineering supervision

Communication skills

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Related technical field

Tools

Jira

Job description

Sierra Space Careers:

At Sierra Space, we build the missions and systems that keep our world secure in the domain above Earth. Sierra Space team members share a spirit of innovation and collaboration and a belief that we can deliver on the boldest missions in space today. Together with our customers, we aim to safeguard our nation, sustain human presence in space, and secure the freedom of operations in low Earth orbit and beyond. Our success is measured by the trust of those who rely on what we build and deliver, and our technologies keep the United States and its allies mission-ready throughout space. We are mission-driven, and together, we are an extraordinary team.

About the Role

The Manager, Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) Engineering leads the technical direction and management of GNC engineering activities supporting spacecraft, aircraft, and/or autonomous systems programs. This role balances individual technical contribution with people leadership, serving as the primary GNC lead on assigned programs while supervising engineers across design, analysis, and testing disciplines. The Manager translates functional GNC plans into actionable operational plans, procedures, and schedules; ensures technical rigor and quality across deliverables; and manages risk, budget, and schedule commitments. This individual upholds company values and standards, communicates complex GNC concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders, and drives continuous improvement of GNC methodologies, tools, and processes across the organization. The Manager, GNC Engineering serves as the primary GNC lead for assigned programs, holding accountability for technical rigor, product quality, and on‑time delivery across all GNC deliverables. This individual makes a high level of individual technical contribution, personally leading key analyses, developing control and estimation models, and generating critical program deliverables using GNC simulation and modeling tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, as well as directing hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing to develop and verify flight control systems. Applying comprehensive knowledge of control theory, state estimation, sensor fusion, and trajectory optimization, this person defines procedures and methodologies for GNC design, analysis, and verification, translating functional GNC plans into operational plans, task‑level breakdowns (using tools such as Jira), Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) tasks, long‑term plans, and Gantt charts that support program execution as well as internal and external proposals and Statements of Work (SOWs). In addition to technical execution, this role carries managerial responsibility for supervising engineering teams across GNC design, analysis, and testing activities, balancing hands‑on technical leadership with day‑to‑day people management. The Manager identifies, assesses, and mitigates technical, schedule, and cost risks across GNC efforts, manages program budgets, and leads organizational change by implementing new methodologies, tools, and processes to improve team effectiveness. This individual communicates complex GNC concepts clearly to diverse stakeholders including engineering teams, program management, and customers, and models and upholds company values, holding GNC teams accountable to established standards and expectations.

About You

Our mission is driven by an unyielding commitment to advancing space-based technology in service of our customers and safeguarding national security. We seek individuals who are passionate about innovating beyond boundaries and relentlessly pursuing solutions that protect, preserve and empower – to join us in this critical mission. We’re looking for team members who align with our values, mission and goals – while also meeting the minimum qualifications below. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent work experience).
• Minimum of two years of relevant guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) engineering management experience through a technical leadership or managerial role.
• Comprehensive knowledge of GNC principles, including control theory, state estimation, sensor fusion, and trajectory optimization for spacecraft, aircraft, or autonomous systems.
• Experience with GNC simulation tools and modeling environments (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink) and hardware-in-the-loop testing for flight control systems development and verification.
• Demonstrated ability to translate GNC functional plans into operational plans, defining procedures and methodologies for control system design, analysis, and verification across multiple projects.
• Ability to balance technical execution with managerial responsibilities.
• Experience supervising engineering teams across GNC design, analysis, and testing activities.
• Strong communication skills for conveying complex GNC concepts to diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to uphold and model company values, including holding GNC teams accountable to standards and expectations.
• An active Top Secret with SCI eligibility U.S. Security Clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience serving as a primary GNC lead for assigned programs, ensuring technical rigor, quality, and timely product delivery.
• Competence in GNC risk management, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating technical, schedule, and cost risks.
• Experience developing Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) tasks, creating long‑term plans and Gantt charts for program execution, and supporting internal and external proposals and Statements of Work (SOWs).
• Experience managing program budgets.
• Experience leading organizational change, including implementing new methodologies, tools, or processes.
• Experience breaking down multi-person projects into task‑level plans using tools such as Jira.

Compensation:

Pay Range: $167,209.00 - $229,911.25 Your actual base compensation will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related knowledge and skills, education, experience, internal equity and market competitiveness.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

This position requires current/active Top Secret with SCI eligibility U.S. Security Clearance. U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment. Non-U.S. Citizens may not be eligible to obtain a security clearance. The Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF), a federal government agency, handles the adjudicative aspects of the security clearance eligibility process for industry applicants. Adjudicative factors which affect the outcome of the eligibility determination include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the U.S., foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and illegal drug use.

Elevate Your Career

At Sierra Space, we are committed to your personal and professional development. We empower you to make profound and meaningful contributions and foster a vibrant culture of collaboration, where teamwork ignites breakthrough innovations. We also offer a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, and more.

About Sierra Space

Sierra Space is an industry‑leading space and defense technology company providing satellites, spacecraft, and enabling mission systems and components. We deliver mission‑proven technologies to our customers that safeguard our nation, protect space‑based assets and enable space exploration.

Sierra Space is a mission‑proven Defense Tech company delivering satellite platforms, critical subsystems, reusable spaceplanes, hypersonic technologies, propulsion systems, and infrastructure for the nation’s most critical missions.

With more than three decades of heritage and a record of flight‑proven success in space, Sierra Space is trusted by U.S. National Security, Civil customers, and global allies.

Our technologies safeguard our nation, sustain human exploration in space, and ensure the freedom of operations beyond Earth.

Sierra Space is defining the new era of Space Defense, strengthening deterrence today and preserving freedom of action for generations to come.

Sierra Space Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.