Principal Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer Verified today

Quantum Space · Rockville, MD · Hawthorne, CA · Space Systems · first seen 2026-07-31

The Role

Quantum Space is seeking a Principal Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer to serve as the technical authority for the GNC subsystem across multiple spacecraft programs. You will lead architecture, design, procurement, integration, and verification of guidance and control systems for national security, civil, and commercial missions.

What You Will Own

End-to-end GNC/ACS architecture from concept development through flight operations.
GNC subsystem level requirements definition.
Spacecraft attitude and control system design, including actuator sizing, sensor selection, control authority, and momentum management strategy.
Control laws for high-ΔV maneuvering, precision pointing, station-keeping, and proximity operations.
State estimation frameworks (EKF/UKF, sensor fusion pipelines, covariance management) for robust on-orbit performance.
High-fidelity 6DOF spacecraft simulation environments for analysis, trade studies, verification, and anomaly resolution.
GNC verification and validation strategy across analysis, SIL/HIL, hardware integration, and flight test.
Propulsion-coupled dynamics modeling, including thrust misalignment, slosh effects, and flexible-body considerations.
GNC participation in system-level reviews (MCR, SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) as the primary technical voice for the discipline.
Analysis of flight telemetry and test data to assess performance and diagnose anomalies.
Safe-mode, fault management, and degraded control strategies in partnership with flight software and systems engineering.
Mentorship of GNC engineers and establishment of best practices, code standards, and simulation frameworks.
Early-orbit operations and critical mission phase support as required.

Your Background

B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
15+ years of experience in spacecraft GNC/ACS development, including full lifecycle flight programs.
Demonstrated ownership of a spacecraft attitude and/or orbit control system through design, integration, and flight.
Deep expertise in rigid-body dynamics, orbital mechanics, estimation theory, and modern control methods.
Strong experience with thruster-based ACS architectures and propulsion-coupled control systems.
Proven ability to independently architect GNC systems and make system-level trade decisions.
Experience implementing flight algorithms in C++, Python, or MATLAB/Simulink, with awareness of real-time constraints.
Experience integrating GNC with flight software and avionics, including SIL/HIL validation.
Ability to analyze telemetry and diagnose complex on-orbit or integrated system anomalies.
Systems-level thinking across propulsion, avionics, software, and mission design.
Demonstrated technical leadership and mentorship experience.
Comfort operating in a fast-paced, hardware-integrated environment with evolving mission needs.

Nice-to-Have Experience

Experience with high-ΔV vehicles, cislunar missions, GEO servicing, or RPO missions.
Experience designing control systems for agile or propulsive maneuvering spacecraft.
Background in autonomous maneuver planning or onboard decision-making systems.
Experience with flexible-body dynamics, propellant slosh modeling, or structural-control interaction.
Familiarity with MAX FSW and MAX GDS or other modern COTS flight software frameworks.
Experience with multi-agent relative navigation or machine learning for estimation, perception, or task planning.
Experience leading small technical teams in startup or NewSpace environments.
Prior support of on-orbit commissioning or anomaly resolution efforts.

Location and Compensation

Rockville, MD or Hawthorne, CA

Base Salary: $175,000 - $225,000

Competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, generous leave, HSA, 401(k) matching, and equity participation.

Eligibility

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual under 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.