Senior GNC Engineer

Astro Mechanica; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) program

Self-managed and flexible time-off policy

Flexible work environment

Job summary

Astro Mechanica is seeking a GNC Engineer in San Francisco, California, to develop guidance, navigation, and control systems for autonomous aircraft. Applicants should have a Master's degree or PhD in a relevant field and at least 5 years of experience in GNC development. The role demands collaboration across engineering disciplines and includes responsibilities such as developing dynamics simulation models and supporting flight tests. Perks include comprehensive benefits and a flexible work environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in GNC development for aerospace or autonomous vehicles.
• Experience in fly-by-wire control design for aircraft.
• Interest and drive to work on all aspects of GNC stack.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement guidance, navigation, and control systems for our products.
• Engage in multi-disciplinary aircraft trades and help define the overall system architecture.
• Support flight and ground test operations.

Skills

GNC development

Dynamics modeling

Simulation

Algorithm design

C++

Python

Rust

Mentoring

Communication

Education

Master’s degree or PhD in robotics, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering

Job description

ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company building a faster, more connected future. Our mission is to democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable. We believe that rapid, on‑demand, point‑to‑point global mobility will become the new standard for moving people and goods across the planet. To achieve this, we are integrating our advanced airframe and engine technologies—which include Duality™, our proprietary dual‑use propulsion system—with a new flight operations model to make supersonic transport as efficient and economical as commercial air travel is today. In the near term, we are developing adaptable, high‑speed systems to close aircraft performance gaps for the United States government.

WHO WE ARE:

We’re a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace. We’re generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy.

WHO YOU ARE:

You’re a GNC engineer who wants real ownership over the guidance and control systems of a clean‑sheet autonomous aircraft. You’re comfortable working from first principles, collaborating tightly with propulsion, structures, and avionics, and making practical tradeoffs to get hardware flying. You care deeply about how systems behave in the real world—not just in simulation—and you’re motivated by building control architectures that are robust, testable, and ready for flight.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Develop and implement guidance, navigation, and control systems for our products
• Engage in multi‑disciplinary aircraft trades and help define the overall system architecture
• Develop 6‑DOF dynamics simulation models used for analysis and validation
• Develop tooling to automate control design, monte carlos, and simulation validation
• Work closely with peers across engineering disciplines to define the control schemes and mechanisms for our products
• Support flight and ground test operations
• Conduct post flight/test reviews and correlate performance with analysis for continuous improvement on predictions

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• Master’s degree or PhD in robotics, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or related discipline
• 5+ years of professional experience in GNC development for an aerospace or autonomous vehicle program
• Experience with dynamics, modeling, and simulation
• Experience with software development best practices
• Experience in algorithm design for autonomous vehicles
• Experience in fly‑by‑wire control design for aircraft
• Experience with Rust, C++, Python, or other relevant software languages.
• Experience and/or an interest in mentoring junior engineers on GNC work and concepts
• Experience communicating to teams of different disciplines about implications of GNC on their work and vice versa
• Interest and drive to work on all aspects of GNC stack
• Ambition to work in a fast‑paced environment

PERKS & BENEFITS:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) program and transparent stock option plan
• Self‑managed and flexible time‑off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick time
• Flexible work environment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in‑office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.

Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.