Senior GNC Engineer

Astromecha; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) program and transparent stock option plan

Self-managed and flexible time-off policy

Flexible work environment

Job summary

Astromecha is seeking a GNC Engineer in San Francisco, California, offering a salary of $170K – $215K. In this role, you will have ownership over guidance and control systems of autonomous aircraft. Required qualifications include a Master’s degree or PhD in relevant fields, 5+ years of experience in GNC development, and proficiency in Rust, C++, or Python. The position offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan, and a flexible work environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in GNC development for an aerospace or autonomous vehicle program.
• Experience communicating to teams of different disciplines about implications of GNC.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

GNC development

Dynamics, modeling, and simulation

Software development best practices

Algorithm design for autonomous vehicles

Rust

C++

Python

Education

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

Job description

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.

If this sounds like how you operate, check out our job openings below.

Location

Employment Type

Full time

Department

Software

Compensation

• $170K – $215K

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.