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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Spacecraft GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) Engineer II to lead the development of GNC and ADCS (Attitude Determination and Control Systems) for their growing fleet of diverse spacecraft. Based in Long Beach, CA, this role spans 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/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 8+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCS, prior experience interfacing with aerospace customers in commercial or government sectors, and U.S. citizenship (due to program requirements). Nice-to-have qualifications include an MS or PhD, active Secret or TS security clearance, 2+ years of RPOD experience, hands-on experience with GNC hardware (IMU, reaction wheels, star trackers, gyroscopes), flight software development and verification experience, on-orbit operations and anomaly resolution experience, and prior team leadership experience across project lifecycles.
