SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 140,000 - 210,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Spacecraft GNC Engineer II to lead guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) and attitude determination and control system (ADCS) development for its growing fleet of diverse spacecraft. Based in Littleton, CO, you will be responsible for the full engineering lifecycle: spacecraft concept and algorithm development, flight software implementation, subsystem requirements development, detailed GNC design, subsystem integration and test (I&T), and vehicle I&T. You will mentor a team responsible for GNC design, modeling, and analysis across a wide variety of spacecraft and space missions, including LEO, MEO, GEO, Lunar, Interplanetary, Reentry, and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPOD).
Key responsibilities include designing flight software, algorithms, and simulation products; developing spacecraft autonomy tools for constellation management; selecting GNC components and designing GNC subsystems; developing and executing test processes; defining fault detection and response strategies; performing hardware-in-the-loop and Monte Carlo simulations; integrating flight and simulation software with modern analysis, test, and operations tools; supporting internal and external design reviews; and coordinating with department leads and program managers to plan and maintain team schedules and milestones. You will work closely with related teams including Systems, Avionics, Flight Software, Mission Operations, and Ground Software, and will directly interact with customers to ensure mission success. You will coordinate with teams in Long Beach, CA and New Zealand.
Rocket Lab's Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration and in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.
REQUIREMENTS:
- B.S. degree and 5+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCS
- Ability to maintain and obtain a security clearance
- Prior experience directly interfacing with aerospace customers in the commercial or government sectors
- U.S. citizenship required due to program requirements and ITAR regulations
NICE-TO-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS:
- MS or PhD
- Active TS/SCI clearance
- 2+ years of RPOD design and operations experience
- Experience with Jira planning and workflow
- Prior experience mentoring a team of younger engineers
- Hands-on experience with IMU, reaction wheels, star trackers, gyroscopes, and other GNC hardware
- Experience developing blended attitude solutions from a variety of sensor data
- Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and verifying flight software
- Demonstrated experience with spacecraft on-orbit operations and anomaly resolution
- Prior experience leading a team across a project lifecycle
- Prior experience working multiple projects simultaneously and determining priorities for a team
- Experience with GNC-related Business Development or conceptual design work
