Senior GNC Engineer

Castelion Corporation; Rio Rancho (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation

Paid time off ( PTO ) 4 weeks

10 company-paid holidays

Health benefits

Parental leave

Fitness stipend

Onsite EV charging

Catered meals

Job summary

Castelion is seeking a Senior GNC Engineer to design and validate guidance, navigation, and control solutions for high-speed hypersonic flight vehicles. You will work with multidisciplinary teams to implement autopilot algorithms in a hardware-driven environment and translate analysis into real-world performance.

Responsibilities include developing and testing control strategies, conducting 3DOF/6DOF modeling, contributing to HIL and flight tests, and mentoring junior engineers while aligning

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Aerospace or Electrical Engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in control system design for aerospace or high-performance dynamic systems.
• Strong background in classical and modern control theory (adaptive, nonlinear, robust).
• Experience developing autopilot algorithms for missiles, rockets, hypersonic vehicles, or similar systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop flight control and autopilot algorithms for high-speed flight vehicles across atmospheric and exo-atmospheric regimes.
• Develop advanced control strategies to ensure performance under uncertain and dynamic conditions.
• Conduct modeling, simulation, and 3DOF/6DOF analysis to evaluate stability and robustness.
• Work with avionics, flight sciences, and software teams to integrate control into real-time embedded systems.
• Support HIL testing, flight testing, and post-flight analysis for system improvements.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to GNC best practices.
• Partner with program leadership on technical trades aligned with mission success.

Skills

Control theory

Problem solving

Fast-paced environment

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelors/Masters/PhD in Aerospace or Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus and technical excellence are decisive advantages - and we are building a team that can deliver real capability, not just concepts.

This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage, where your work will directly shape critical systems, influence major technical decisions, and have immediate, real-world impact.

We are seeking a Senior GNC Engineer to develop guidance, navigation, and control solutions for Castelion's long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. This role is critical to enabling stable, precise, and adaptive flight performance across all mission phases. You will work hands-on with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, analyze, implement, and validate control and autopilot algorithms in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop flight control and autopilot algorithms for high-speed flight vehicles across atmospheric and exo-atmospheric regimes
• Develop and implement advanced control strategies, including adaptive and robust control methods, to ensure performance under uncertain and dynamic conditions
• Conduct modeling, simulation, and analysis (3DOF/6DOF) to evaluate control system performance, stability, and robustness
• Work closely with avionics, flight sciences, mechanisms, and flight software teams to integrate control algorithms into real-time embedded systems
• Support hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, flight testing, and post-flight analysis, translating results into system-level improvements
• Analyze vehicle dynamics, actuator behavior, and sensor characteristics to inform control system design and tuning
• Develop tools and frameworks for control system design, verification, and validation
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in GNC and control system development
• Partner closely with program leadership to make technical trades aligned with mission success

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in control system design, analysis, and validation for aerospace or high-performance dynamic systems
• Strong background in classical and modern control theory, including adaptive, nonlinear, and robust control methods
• Experience developing autopilot algorithms for missiles, rockets, hypersonic vehicles, or similar systems
• Proficiency in modeling and simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent
• Experience with 3DOF and 6DOF simulation environments and real-time control implementation
• Familiarity with flight software integration and real-time embedded systems
• Strong problem-solving mindset, thriving in a fast-paced, hardware-rich, high flight cadence environment

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

All full-time employees are granted meaningful long-term equity, sharing in the company's significant growth trajectory. We offer four (4) weeks of paid time off, ten (10) company-paid holidays, and comprehensive health benefits - including 100% employee-covered medical and strong dependent coverage, along with dental and vision plans. We also provide paid parental leave to support growing families, a $100 monthly fitness stipend to promote health and performance, and onsite EV charging for convenience. In addition, employees enjoy perks like catered meals, company-covered food during high-demand periods, and a fully stocked kitchen to stay fueled throughout the day.

While this position does not currently require a U.S. government‑issued security clearance, it may in the near future. Therefore, the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government‑issued security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

Employment with Castelion is governed on the basis of 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.