Spacecraft GNC Engineer III

firefly; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision plans

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Spacecraft GNC Engineer to design, analyze, and operate GNC systems for spacecraft. You will develop flight software, run simulations, and support mission operations, advancing toward a senior GNC role at Firefly.

You will work on attitude determination, onboard navigation, and sensor/actuator modeling, collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams to integrate software with hardware.

Qualifications

• 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 discipline.
• Advanced knowledge of spacecraft orbital mechanics and state estimation.
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, data analysis, and visualization.
• Experience with C++ for real-time or flight-critical applications.

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.

Skills

Python

C++

GNC software development

State estimation

Attitude dynamics

Sensor modeling

Hardware-in-the-loop testing

CI/CD

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or related field

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) preferred

Tools

Git

Linux

Simulation tools

Job description

ABOUT

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing. 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

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

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.

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