Senior Spacecraft GNC Engineer (Autonomy & Control)

True Anomaly; Denver, Long Beach (CO, CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health benefits

PTO

401K

Parental Leave

Job summary

True Anomaly seeks an experienced GNC engineer to own end-to-end development of spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control systems for missions in LEO, GEO, and cislunar space. You’ll architect software and hardware integration, and drive verification and flight operations in a fast-paced environment.

You will design state estimation and control laws, build high‑fidelity simulations, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with avionics, propulsion, and operations teams. U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, or related discipline (advanced degree preferred).
• 8+ years of hands‑on experience developing and fielding spacecraft GNC systems.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python, including software development, numerical methods, and algorithm implementation.
• Deep understanding of spacecraft attitude dynamics, orbital mechanics, environmental perturbations, and actuator/sensor physics.
• Significant experience with estimation and filtering (EKF, UKF, batch least squares), sensor fusion, covariance analysis, and navigation performance assessment.
• Experience designing control laws and performing stability, robustness, and frequency‑domain analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain complex high‑fidelity simulations and Monte Carlo frameworks.
• Experience testing and integrating GNC algorithms with flight hardware, including star trackers, IMUs, reaction wheels, GN&C avionics, and propulsion components.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end development of spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) systems, including architecture definition, algorithm design, software implementation, hardware integration, verification, and flight operations
• Design, test, and validate GNC flight software for spacecraft operating in LEO, GEO, and cislunar environments
• Develop advanced attitude and orbit determination algorithms, including sensor fusion, state estimation, covariance analysis, and Kalman filtering (EKF/UKF/batch)
• Design control laws for attitude control, orbit control, maneuver execution, and closed-loop guidance, ensuring required performance and robustness under uncertainties
• Lead creation and improvement of high-fidelity 6-DOF simulations, sensor/actuator models, disturbance environments, Monte Carlo pipelines, and SIL/HIL integration
• Conduct system-level GNC trade studies and develop recommendations for hardware such as reaction wheels, torque rods, thrusters, star trackers, IMUs, GNSS units, and optical navigation sensors
• Define GNC subsystem requirements, interfaces, calibration procedures, verification/validation plans, and support design reviews (SRR/PDR/CDR)
• Work cross-functionally with avionics, software, propulsion, mechanisms, mission operations, and systems engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of GNC functionality
• Support on-orbit commissioning, calibration, maneuver planning, fault investigation, and anomaly resolution
• Mentor junior engineers, lead design/code reviews, and help establish GNC best practices, tools, and development standards

Skills

C++

Python

GNC systems

Kalman filtering

State estimation

Control theory

Mentoring

Team leadership

Clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, or related discipline

Tools

Star trackers

IMUs

Reaction wheels

GN&C avionics

Propulsion components

Job description

True Anomaly seeks an experienced GNC engineer to own end-to-end development of spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control systems for missions in LEO, GEO, and cislunar space. You’ll architect software and hardware integration, and drive verification and flight operations in a fast-paced environment.

You will design state estimation and control laws, build high‑fidelity simulations, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with avionics, propulsion, and operations teams. U.S.