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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Spacecraft GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) Engineer I to lead GNC and ADCS development for its growing fleet of diverse spacecraft. Based in Long Beach, CA, this role is responsible for the full engineering lifecycle: spacecraft concept and algorithm development, flight software implementation, subsystem requirements, detailed GNC design, integration and test, and vehicle-level testing.
You will mentor a team responsible for GNC design, modeling, and analysis across diverse mission profiles including LEO, MEO, GEO, Lunar, Interplanetary, Reentry, and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPOD). Key responsibilities include designing flight software and algorithms, developing spacecraft autonomy tools for constellation management, selecting GNC components, designing GNC subsystems, developing test processes, defining fault detection and response strategies, and executing hardware-in-the-loop and Monte Carlo simulations.
You will integrate flight and simulation software with modern analysis, test, and operations tools, support internal and external design reviews, and coordinate with department leads and program managers to plan schedules and report technical status. The role involves collaboration with teams in Denver, Colorado and New Zealand, as well as direct customer interaction to ensure mission success.
Required qualifications include a BS degree and 5+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCS, prior experience interfacing with aerospace customers in commercial or government sectors, and U.S. citizenship (required due to program requirements). Nice-to-have qualifications include an MS or PhD, active Secret or TS security clearance, 2+ years of RPOD design and operations experience, hands-on experience with IMU, reaction wheels, star trackers, and other GNC hardware, experience developing blended attitude solutions, flight software development and verification, on-orbit operations and anomaly resolution, and prior team leadership experience across project lifecycles.
