Principal Spacecraft GNC Architect—Autonomy & Precision

Quantum Space; Hawthorne, Rockville (CA, MD); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity participation

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) matching

Job summary

Quantum Space is seeking a Principal Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer to serve as the technical authority for the GNC subsystem across multiple spacecraft programs. You will lead architecture, design, integration, and verification from concept through flight operations, partnering with systems engineering and software teams.

The role requires deep expertise in rigid-body dynamics, state estimation, and control law development for high-ΔV maneuvers, with hands-on experience in

Qualifications

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
• 15+ years of experience in spacecraft GNC/ACS development.
• Demonstrated ownership of a spacecraft attitude and/or orbit control system.
• Deep expertise in rigid-body dynamics, orbital mechanics, estimation theory, and modern control methods.
• Experience implementing flight algorithms in C++, Python, or MATLAB/Simulink.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end GNC/ACS architecture from concept development through flight operations.
• Own GNC subsystem level requirements.
• Lead spacecraft attitude and control system design, including actuator sizing, sensor selection, control authority, and momentum management strategy.
• Define and implement control laws for high-ΔV maneuvering, precision pointing, station-keeping, and proximity operations.
• Architect state estimation frameworks (EKF/UKF, sensor fusion pipelines, covariance management) for robust on-orbit performance.
• Develop and maintain high-fidelity 6DOF spacecraft simulation environments for analysis, trade studies, verification, and anomaly resolution.
• Establish GNC verification and validation strategy across analysis, SIL/HIL, hardware integration, and flight test.
• Support propulsion-coupled dynamics modeling, including thrust misalignment, slosh effects, and flexible-body considerations as needed.
• Lead GNC participation in system-level reviews (MCR, SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and serve as the primary technical voice for the discipline.
• Analyze flight telemetry and test data to assess performance, diagnose anomalies, and drive configuration or algorithm updates.
• Define safe-mode, fault management, and degraded control strategies in partnership with FSW and systems engineering.
• Mentor and manage GNC engineers, establishing best practices, code standards, simulation frameworks, and technical rigor across the team.

Skills

Spacecraft Guidance

Control Systems

Attitude Control

Flight Software Integration

Leadership

Mentorship

Education

Advanced degree in Aerospace/Engineering

Tools

C++

Python

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Quantum Space is seeking a Principal Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer to serve as the technical authority for the GNC subsystem across multiple spacecraft programs. You will lead architecture, design, integration, and verification from concept through flight operations, partnering with systems engineering and software teams.

The role requires deep expertise in rigid-body dynamics, state estimation, and control law development for high-ΔV maneuvers, with hands-on experience in