Senior GNC Engineer

Red Canyon Engineering & Software; United States; On-site; USD 83,000 - 138,000; Part time

Job summary

Red Canyon Engineering & Software is seeking an experienced Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer on a contract basis to advance satellite GNC capabilities. The role spans requirements through operations, with emphasis on reusing Airbus heritage designs and cross‑functional collaboration.

You will design GNC for new spacecraft, implement sensors/actuators and flight software, and support testing with MATLAB/Simulink, STK, and SysML/UML MBSE. A STEM degree and US citizenship are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM required; Master's preferred.
• Experience: 6–8+ years in GNC on spacecraft.
• Proficient with MATLAB/Simulink and STK.
• Familiar with MBSE (SysML/UML) and requirements flows.
• US Citizenship is required.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement GNC for satellite systems across lifecycle.
• Analyze and develop GNC subsystems: sensors, actuators, flight software, electronics.
• Define requirements and trace flows; ensure design-for-cost/for-test.
• Coordinate cross-functional planning and execution across programs.

Skills

C/C++

Python

MATLAB/Simulink

STK

US Citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM

Tools

C/C++

Python

Job description

Do you want to help a small company make a BIG difference in space? Do you take ownership of your job and responsibility for your actions? Then come work for Red Canyon and help us continue our mission of helping humankind reach the stars!

Red Canyon Software is looking for an experienced Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer (Contract) to develop solutions for satellite Guidance, Navigation, and Control system. We're looking for candidates who can bring exceptional engineering skills and strong experience in aerospace programs to the team.

Position Responsibilities

The Senior GNC Engineer's primary responsibility will be contributing to the development of customer U.S.'s satellite GNC systems. This engineer will be involved in the full lifecycle of development, from requirements definition through operations. Being at the cutting edge of space technology, we need someone who is eager to learn, grow, and take on new and potentially unfamiliar challenges. There is no shortage of fascinating problems to solve.

Guidance, Navigation, Control - 50%

• Design and implement GNC designs for new spacecraft designs to accommodate a variety of new mission payloads onto Airbus spacecraft platforms.
• Analyze, design, and/or develop GNC systems to include:
  • Sensors and actuators
  • Algorithms and flight software
  • GNC electronics
• Support the development of subsystem level requirements and requirement flow-down to the various components and parts as necessary - in all phases of the development lifecycle with particular emphasis on Design for Cost/Design for Manufacturability/Design for Test approaches.
• Ensure the maximum reuse of the existing Airbus heritage products and if necessary, identify need for modification.
• Ability to drive multiple design activities (programs or mission) – could lead to spacecraft, payload, satellite bus, and/or launch integration activities.
• Demonstrated ability to participate in cross-functional planning, coordination, and task execution situations involving the full spectrum of engineering and integration activities
  

Simulation Development - 40%

• Support Airbus spacecraft development product roadmap: includes design adjustments, schedule, and cost targets aligned for future business captures.
• Support the definition of spacecraft customization process for customer mission needs
  

Additional Responsibilities - 10%

• Perform all the necessary GNC system engineering activities to build, to maintain and to evolve the Airbus spacecraft products.
• Promote and optimize cost savings by reuse of the heritage platform designs and manufacturing infrastructures in the pursuit of various constellation prospects.
  

Education

• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas.
• Preferred: Masters in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas
  

Experience

• 8+ years' (w/ bachelor's degree) / 6+ years' (w/ Master's degree) experience in guidance, navigation and control system analysis, design and verification on spacecraft.
• 5+ years' experience in guidance, navigation and control system analysis, design and verification on spacecraft.
  

Skills

• Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink and STK.
• Proficiency modeling, simulating, and analyzing the performance of spacecraft GNC sensors, actuators, dynamics and algorithms.
• Familiarity and experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (SysML/UML) and processes that include requirements, architectures, interfaces and trade studies.
• Familiarity with software development, verification, and validation.
• Experience with object-oriented programming (C, C++) and scripting languages (TCL, Python).
• US Citizenship is required
  

$60 - $100 an hour

Red Canyon Engineering and Software: “Exploring Other Planets, Improving our Own”

Red Canyon contracts with NASA, NOAA, NREL, JPL, and DOD, in addition to customers such as Lockheed Martin Space, Raytheon, Sierra Space, a.i. solutions, Walt Disney Imagineering, SAIC, Sidus Space, Ball Aerospace, SpaceX, Honeywell, KBRwyle, Peraton, LASP, Maxar, Blue Origin, and Moog. We specialize in building spacecraft, developing renewable energy technologies to help make our planet a better world and cutting edge research and development. Our disciplines include embedded flight software, software testing, GN&C, systems engineering, mechanical design, structural analysis, real time flight and ground software, simulation software, user interface software, and mission management software. We help our contractors with the full life cycle of product development from requirements to test and delivery.

Some of the programs we have previously or currently worked on include: Human Lander System, Artemis I-II, WorldView Legion V, Perseverance Rover, InSight, GeoXO, Tranche-1, LizzieSat, Dream Chaser, Psyche, Mars 98, Odyssey 01, Stardust, Genesis and Deep Impact, Mars Phoenix, Joint Polar Satellite System, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Orion, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, GOES-R, OSIRIS-REx, Maven, JUNO, Grail, and the MarsFlight and LunarSIM Simulation.

Red Canyon’s home office is located in scenic Denver, Colorado, and our regional office, Launch Now, is in historic downtown Titusville, Florida. We are a small company that maintains a flat organization to decrease our overhead and costs to our customers. Our number one focus is to solve some of the most complicated engineering problems humankind is facing.

Does it sound like you want to join our mission?

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.