Principal Spacecraft GNC Engineer, Controls

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

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Principal Spacecraft GNC Engineer, Controls

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

SUMMARY

As a Principal Spacecraft GNC Engineer specializing in controls and autonomy at Firefly, you will design and implement advanced control systems and autonomous flight software for operational spacecraft. In this role, you will develop and tune attitude control software, support hardware-in-the-loop testing and system integration, and provide technical leadership while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. This position combines advanced control theory, real-time embedded systems development, and hands-on flight operations support while mentoring junior engineers in a fast-paced operational environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide technical direction on system architecture and serve as subject matter expert for spacecraft control
• Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude control software to ensure accurate pointing across all mission phases
• Own design and implementation of control laws for orbital maneuvering and descent and landing
• Develop control systems accounting for complex spacecraft dynamics including structural flex modes, propellant slosh, gimbal dynamics, and control structure interaction
• Establish technical standards and validation methodologies for control system design, software development, and hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Conduct stability analysis, sensitivity studies, and performance optimization for control systems under nominal and off-nominal conditions
• Support hardware-in-the-loop test campaigns for integrated ADCS systems including control algorithm validation, flight software verification, and system-level performance testing
• Drive resolution of complex ADCS challenges requiring deep technical expertise and rapid problem-solving
• Mentor junior engineers in control theory and flight software development
• Interface with cross-discipline teams to integrate control software with spacecraft hardware
• Serve as an ADCS console operator for spacecraft operations and perform post-mission analysis to improve spacecraft models
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives for ADCS processes, tools, and operational efficiency

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field
• 8-12 years of experience in spacecraft ADCS systems with significant depth in attitude control system design or flight software development
• Advanced knowledge of attitude dynamics and control theory, including rotational dynamics, attitude representations, control moment generation, and stability analysis
• Strong understanding of classical control theory and frequency domain analysis techniques
• Proficiency in thrust vector control design and interaction with the greater GNC subsystem
• Expertise in real-time software development using C++ for mission-critical applications
• Experience developing high-fidelity actuator models and attitude control system testbeds
• Proficiency in hardware-in-the-loop testing and requirement verification for mission-critical systems
• Understanding of software development best practices including version control (Git), code documentation, and testing
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Master's degree or PhD in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or related field
• Experience architecting and implementing control systems for operational spacecraft from development through mission operations
• Expertise in advanced control techniques such as nonlinear control methods, optimal control, model predictive control, or adaptive control applied to spacecraft applications
• Advanced knowledge of state estimation techniques including Kalman filtering
• Advanced knowledge of numerical methods for control law tuning, root-solving, and parameter optimization
• Experience with modern flight software frameworks and real-time operating systems
• Software engineering expertise with proficiency in development practices including version control, code review, testing, documentation, and CI/CD workflows
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, data analysis, and automation
• Working knowledge of spacecraft systems and mission operations
• Proven ability to develop junior engineers while managing technical responsibilities
• Track record of thought leadership through publications, presentations, or contributions to industry state-of-the-art

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status