Spacecraft GNC Engineer III

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision plans

Parental leave

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in the Austin area seeks a Spacecraft GNC Engineer to design, analyze and operate GNC systems for mission-critical spacecraft. You will develop flight and simulation software, perform analyses, and support mission operations while broadening core GNC competencies.

This role offers hands-on experience with attitude determination, onboard navigation, sensor/actuator modeling, and real-time operations across multiple vehicles, with paths toward senior GNC responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, physics, math, CS or related field.
• 4–8 years in spacecraft GNC or related discipline.
• Knowledge of orbital mechanics, dynamics, state estimation, attitude dynamics, and sensor modeling.
• Experience modeling sensors/actuators for high-fidelity simulations.
• Python proficiency for scripting, data analysis, and visualization.
• C++ for real-time or flight-critical applications.
• Software engineering practices including version control, code review, testing, and CI/CD.
• Hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing and requirements verification.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate GNC software for spacecraft missions.
• Tune and configure GNC algorithms for all flight phases.
• Perform 6DOF simulation analysis of nominal and dispersed flight profiles.
• Develop and maintain simulation models for sensors, actuators, and environmental effects.
• Create tools to automate workflows, process simulation and flight data, and generate technical reports.
• Interface with cross-disciplinary teams to integrate GNC software with spacecraft hardware.
• Serve as a GNC console operator for spacecraft operations and post-mission analysis.
• Author technical documentation and analysis reports communicating GNC concepts and results.
• Improve GNC processes and tools.

Skills

GNC software development

Python scripting

C++ for real-time/flight

State estimation

Attitude dynamics

Hardware-in-the-loop testing

CI/CD

Data analysis & visualization

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, physics, math, CS

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in GNC

Job description

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

Summary

As a Spacecraft GNC Engineer at Firefly, you will design, analyze, and operate the GNC systems of operational spacecraft. In this role, you will develop GNC flight and simulation software, perform analyses, and support mission operations while continuing to build breadth across core GNC competencies. This position offers hands‑on experience with spacecraft attitude determination and control systems, onboard navigation, sensor and actuator modeling, and real‑time mission operations across multiple spacecraft. You will deepen your technical capabilities and refine your desired career trajectory, taking ownership of system elements and software tools as you grow toward a senior GNC role at Firefly.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate GNC software to ensure successful spacecraft mission execution
• Tune and configure GNC algorithms for all phases of spacecraft flight
• Perform 6DOF simulation analysis of nominal and dispersed flight profiles
• Develop and maintain simulation models for sensors, actuators, and environmental effects
• Create tools to automate workflows, process simulation and flight data, and generate technical reports
• Conduct stability analysis, sensitivity studies, and hardware-in-the-loop testing of GNC under nominal and off-nominal conditions
• Interface with cross-discipline teams to integrate GNC software with spacecraft hardware
• Serve as a GNC console operator for spacecraft operations and perform post-mission analysis to improve spacecraft models
• Author technical documentation and analysis reports that communicate GNC concepts and results to diverse audiences
• Build proficiency across core GNC competencies while contributing to continuous improvement of GNC processes and tools

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, or related field
• 4-8 years of professional experience in spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control, or related technical discipline
• Advanced knowledge of spacecraft orbital mechanics, spacecraft dynamics, state estimation, attitude dynamics, and sensor modeling
• Experience developing high-fidelity sensor and actuator models
• Proficiency in a specialization of spacecraft GNC: Navigation, Guidance, Controls, Software Development
• Proficiency in hardware-in-the-loop testing and requirement verification for mission-critical systems
• Proficiency with Python for scripting, data analysis, and visualization
• Experience with C++ for real-time or flight-critical applications
• Software engineering expertise with proficiency in development practices including version control, code review, testing, documentation, and CI/CD

Desired

• Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in aerospace engineering or related field with focus on GNC
• Experience supporting spacecraft GNC across development, integration, and mission operations
• Expertise in C++ for embedded systems or real-time applications
• Experience with modern flight software frameworks and real-time operating systems
• Proficiency with CI/CD workflows and automated testing practices
• Experience with Linux development environments and command-line tools
• Exposure to spaceflight mission operations or spacecraft commissioning

Benefits

• generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles
• parental leave
• relocation benefits
• educational reimbursement
• short term disability
• flexible PTO options

Eligibility and Export Controls

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.