Principal GNC Engineer

We Love AI Jobs; Pittsburgh, Northern (Allegheny County, KY); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site

Job summary

Voyager Lunar Systems in Pittsburgh, PA is seeking a Principal GNC Engineer to serve as the senior technical authority for guidance, navigation, and control. The role focuses on modernizing GNC algorithms and simulations and guiding technical direction across mission teams; onsite in Pittsburgh.

You will advance state estimation, sensor fusion, trajectory generation, and terrain navigation, while expanding high-fidelity simulators for verification.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in GNC engineering for spacecraft or autonomous systems.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field; advanced degrees may substitute.
• Deep knowledge of state estimation, sensor fusion, nonlinear dynamics, and control.

Responsibilities

• Lead GNC algorithm modernization to industry standards for missions.
• Develop navigation and control strategies for descent, landing, and autonomous ops.
• Mentor engineers and shape roadmaps across Lunar Systems.

Skills

MATLAB

Python

Simulink

Basilisk

EKF

UKF

Confluence

Jira

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or related field

Tools

Basilisk

Confluence

Jira

Job description

# Principal GNC EngineerPittsburgh Robotics NetworkPittsburgh, PAFull-timeUpload your resume once and Scout applies for youApply with ScoutShare this job:LinkedInXSave imageThe Principal GNC Engineer is the senior technical authority for guidance, navigation, and control capabilities at Voyager Lunar Systems in Pittsburgh. The role modernizes spacecraft GNC algorithms and simulations, develops navigation and control strategies, and guides technical direction across mission teams.* Permanent* On-site* 15+ years* Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field; advanced de### Skills and expertiseMATLABPythonSimulinkBasiliskEKFUKFConfluenceJira### Key responsibilities* Improve GNC algorithms, analysis, and models to meet mission-critical standards.* Develop and validate navigation and control strategies for descent, landing, and autonomous operations.* Lead trade studies, shape technical roadmaps, and mentor GNC engineers.## How this job comparesCompared with 139 open principal engineering jobs on October 10, 2026.Pay: This job does not publish its pay. The 63 open principal engineering jobs that publish US pay start at $229K a year on average.Similar open jobs: We Love AI Jobs lists 139 open principal engineering jobs at 56 companies.Remote work: This job is on site. 17 of the 139 principal engineering jobs (12%) are remote.AI in this role: Low. The company works with AI, but AI is a small part of this role's daily work. The role develops spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control algorithms, including state estimation and sensor fusion, but the posting does not describe AI or machine-learning systems.## Full descriptionVoyager is an innovative space, defense, and national security technology company committed to advancing and delivering transformative, mission-critical solutions. We tackle the most complex challenges to unlock new frontiers for human progress, fortify national security, and protect critical assets to lead in the race for technological and operational superiority from ground to space.Forge the Future: Join Voyager TechnologiesThe future belongs to those who build it. At Voyager Technologies, we’re building technologies that protect lives, expand frontiers and prepare us for what’s next. And we’re doing that with people who are wired to solve, build, adapt and lead. These roles are not for the faint of heart. You’ll help lay the foundation for humanity's future. Join a culture where innovation thrives, curiosity is rewarded, and impact is real. We’re a company of doers, thinkers, and builders, united by purpose and grounded in reality. If you want to put your skills to work where the stakes are real and the mission is bigger than any one person, forge the future with Voyager.Job SummaryThe Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer for Voyager Lunar Systems is the senior technical authority, responsible for modernizing existing GNC algorithms and analysis to industry standards, while also driving innovation that moves our guidance, navigation, and control approaches toward state‐of‐the‐art performance.The position reports to the Software & Controls Manager and is part of the Software & Controls Department based in Pittsburgh, PA. This role is onsite based in Pittsburgh, PA.In this role, the essential functions are:• Lead efforts to raise existing GNC analysis, modeling, and algorithm fidelity to industry best practices and mission‐critical standards.• Advance guidance, navigation, and control algorithms by introducing state‐of‐the‐art methods in state estimation, sensor fusion, trajectory generation, optical navigation, and terrain‐based navigation.• Modernize and expand high‐fidelity simulation environments for algorithm verification, Monte Carlo testing, mission analysis, and performance evaluation.• Develop and validate improved navigation and control strategies for descent, landing, attitude control, and autonomous operations.• Conduct comprehensive trade studies evaluating sensors, estimation approaches, trajectory strategies, and control architectures, providing clear recommendations backed by rigorous analysis.• Provide senior technical leadership across Lunar Systems, shaping mission concepts, technology roadmaps, and long‐term GNC capability development.• Collaborate with systems engineering, avionics, software, mission analysis, and mechanical teams to ensure GNC solutions meet mission requirements and integrate seamlessly across the spacecraft.• Produce clear, high‐quality technical documentation, analysis reports, proposals, and review materials for both internal and external stakeholders.• Mentor and guide GNC engineers, raising team-wide standards for analysis quality, algorithm development, modeling practices, and simulation rigor.• Identify GNC‐related mission risks and propose mitigation strategies, algorithm improvements, or analysis campaigns to address them proactively.If your experience aligns with our basic qualifications and you are inspired by our mission, we’d like to connect. If you don’t see the right role right now, Join Our Talent Community and stay connected as we continue to build what’s next.Minimum Qualifications:• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or related field plus 15+ years of relevant experience; advanced degrees may substitute for experience.• Extensive experience developing, analyzing, and validating GNC algorithms for spacecraft, planetary landers, launch vehicles, or autonomous systems.• Deep knowledge of non-linear dynamics, state estimation, sensor fusion, modern filtering techniques (EKF, UKF, etc.), guidance algorithms, and control theory.• Proven success modernizing and improving existing GNC algorithms, modeling methods, and analysis frameworks to industry standards.• Demonstrated ability to introduce advanced or state of the art approaches in navigation, estimation, control, or simulation environments.• Strong understanding of lunar and cislunar mission environments and their implications for GNC design and performance.