Senior Navigation Engineer

Red Canyon Engineering & Software; Westminster (CO); On-site; USD 132,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Signing bonus

Quarterly performance bonuses

Health insurance and 401K plan

Flexible time off policy

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Red Canyon Engineering & Software in Westminster, Colorado seeks a Senior Navigation Engineer to lead spacecraft navigation across all mission phases, from formulation to operations, and to own navigation products for major reviews.

Candidates will develop and validate Kalman filter configurations for complex regimes, mentor junior engineers, interact with vendors, and support proposals and IRAD efforts. This US-person requirement notes on-site work in Westminster and TS/SCI preferred.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of professional experience in spacecraft navigation, orbit determination, or closely related flight dynamics roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• Demonstrated leadership of OD campaigns or major navigation tasks, including filter setup, force models, and tracking strategies.
• Proven ability to design and adapt Kalman filters for new dynamical and tracking regimes, including dynamic, bias, stochastic, and consider parameters.
• Significant experience with navigation/astrodynamics tools (e.g., MONTE, FreeFlyer, ODTK, GMAT, STK) in flight or flight-like applications.
• Strong navigation operations experience, including nav operator training/certification or equivalent console and contingency support.
• Ability to act as primary navigation point of contact, interacting with vendors and partners, driving requirements, owning verification/validation, and conducting system-level trades.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with a record of leading technical presentations and navigation analysis reports.
• US. Person (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident), able to work on-site in Westminster, CO.

Responsibilities

• Lead spacecraft navigation for all mission phases, including formulation, tracking architecture development, estimation approach, and operations.
• Develop and validate advanced Kalman filter configurations for complex regimes (multi-body, low-thrust, weak observability).
• Serve as primary navigation lead for flight operations operations prep, including console support, real-time OD, and anomaly response.
• Architect navigation solutions that account for mission design, GNC, communications, and ground system constraints.
• Own navigation products for major reviews, clearly communicating performance, trades, and risks.
• Mentor junior navigation engineers in OD, filter design, measurement modeling, and operations best practices.
• Drive improvements to navigation procedures, tool setups, and standard operating practices.
• Support BD and IRAD by shaping navigation concepts, contributing to proposals, and defining new mission and capability concepts.

Skills

Kalman filters

Navigation

Leadership

System trades

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Systems Engineering

Tools

MONTE

FreeFlyer

ODTK

GMAT

STK

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Navigation Engineer to join a team that is leading humanity back to the Moon and pioneering innovative solutions in the space industry. Based in Westminster, Colorado, this incredible team is looking for a Sr Spacecraft Navigation Engineer who's eager to push the state of the art in the aerospace industry.

This position is responsible for leading development efforts, supporting a technically diverse team, and conducting detailed analyses of navigation technology and missions. The ideal candidate will be an experienced professional who can drive innovation, mentor junior engineers, and support spaceflight operations. This role will be based in Westminster, Colorado, and the ideal candidate will have a passion for the exploration, development, and settlement of space.

This position is open to U.S. Persons only (U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent residents), as required by applicable laws and regulations.

THE FOLLOWING ACTIVE SECURITY CLEARANCE

is desired but not required - TS/SCI IS PREFERRED

We do not provide visa sponsorship or support work authorization for this role. Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead spacecraft navigation for all mission phases, including formulation, tracking architecture development, estimation approach, and operations.
• Develop and validate advanced Kalman filter configurations for complex regimes (multi-body, low-thrust, weak observability).
• Serve as primary navigation lead for flight operations operations prep, including console support, real-time OD, and anomaly response.
• Architect navigation solutions that account for mission design, GNC, communications, and ground system constraints.
• Own navigation products for major reviews, clearly communicating performance, trades, and risks.
• Mentor junior navigation engineers in OD, filter design, measurement modeling, and operations best practices.
• Drive improvements to navigation procedures, tool setups, and standard operating practices.
• Support BD and IRAD by shaping navigation concepts, contributing to proposals, and defining new mission and capability concepts.

Requirements

• 8–12 years of professional experience in spacecraft navigation, orbit determination, or closely related flight dynamics roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• Demonstrated leadership of OD campaigns or major navigation tasks, including filter setup, force models, and tracking strategies.
• Proven ability to design and adapt Kalman filters for new dynamical and tracking regimes, including dynamic, bias, stochastic, and consider parameters.
• Significant experience with navigation/astrodynamics tools (e.g., MONTE, FreeFlyer, ODTK, GMAT, STK) in flight or flight-like applications.
• Strong navigation operations experience, including nav operator training/certification or equivalent console and contingency support.
• Ability to act as primary navigation point of contact, interacting with vendors and partners, driving requirements, owning verification/validation, and conducting system-level trades.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with a record of leading technical presentations and navigation analysis reports.
• US. Person (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident), able to work on-site in Westminster, CO.

Desired

• Master’s or PhD with emphasis on Kalman filters, state estimation, or astrodynamics
• Experience leading navigation support for maneuver planning and execution, including tracking schedule design and mission design trades.
• Expertise across multiple measurement types (radiometric, GPS, optical, angles-only) and in designing measurement configurations.
• Experience integrating navigation into system requirements, CONOPS, and ICDs, and leading navigation verification and reporting.
• Demonstrated use of the MONTE astrodynamics toolkit
• Leadership of navigation-related IRAD or proposal sections, shaping IRAD concepts and navigation win themes.
• Familiarity with cislunar and deep-space navigation challenges, including three-body regimes, timing/clock issues, and tracking network limitations.
• Familiarity with multi-spacecraft mission concepts
• Active TS/SCI or prior clearance preferred.

$132,000 - $174,900 a year

• Base Salary Range: $132,000 - $174,900 based on role, experience, and location
• Signing bonus
• Quarterly performance bonuses
• Company-provided health insurance and 401K plan upon eligibility
• Flexible time off policy
• Relocation assistance

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.