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Salary: USD 169,067 - 216,031 / annual
Varda Space Industries is building commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems, reentry capsules, and satellite buses. As a Senior Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC) Engineer, you will own the full lifecycle of GNC development from design through flight testing and on-orbit operations.
You will perform system analyses including simulations and Monte Carlo studies to satisfy specifications and drive architectural and business decisions. Key responsibilities include:
- ADCS hardware performance specification and sizing (reaction wheels, torque rods, IMU/GPS, star trackers)
- Design and implementation of autonomous satellite attitude control, collision avoidance, orbital rendezvous, burn planning, and atmospheric reentry algorithms
- Trajectory design, optimization, and dispersion analysis for space capsule reentry
- Development of 6-degree-of-freedom vehicle simulations using C++, Python, and MATLAB/Simulink
- Monte Carlo analysis to characterize vehicle and mission performance
- Integration and testing of GNC sensors, actuators, and software in hardware-in-the-loop environments
- Design and implementation of ground tooling for automated maneuver planning and scheduling
- Monitoring on-orbit system performance and troubleshooting
- Coordination with spacecraft operators, third-party agencies, and US government entities
You will contribute to Varda's sophisticated multi-degree-of-freedom in-house aerospace simulation and test framework, develop and maintain design descriptions and supporting documentation, and see end-to-end execution from initial analysis through vehicle integration, mission planning, flight, and on-orbit/reentry operations support.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, CA with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL. The company was founded in 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov and is backed by Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and other top-tier investors. The team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley.
REQUIREMENTS:
- B.S. degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or related field (or PhD with 3+ years relevant experience)
- 5+ proven years of experience in aerospace GNC systems (or PhD with 3+ years)
- Demonstrated knowledge in designing, modeling, testing, and flying aerospace guidance, navigation, and control systems
- Highly adept software and model development skills, particularly in C++/Python
- Understanding of orbital mechanics, modeling and simulation, and software development
- Experience anchoring/fitting first principles models to test data or high-fidelity external simulations
- Proven system engineering and configuration management skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
PREFERRED:
- Master's degree in engineering or physics
- Experience with spacecraft attitude determination and control system design
- Experience with GMAT, POST2, or similar trajectory/mission design tools
- Understanding of multi-body dynamics, flexible body dynamics, gas dynamics, fluids, and thermodynamics
- Experience developing and verifying physical models for control design, component sizing, and system performance evaluation
- Experience supporting safety-critical flight tests or spacecraft
- Ability to manage risk and provide solutions using lean and state-of-the-art software development techniques
ITAR REQUIREMENT: Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or individual admitted as refugee/granted asylum) due to access to export-controlled technology.
