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Salary: USD 100,000 - 137,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Spacecraft GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) Engineer II based in Littleton, CO to lead GNC and ADCS (Attitude Determination and Control System) development for the company's growing fleet of diverse spacecraft. This role spans 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 be responsible for planning and maintaining development schedules to support the Space Systems organization in executing leading-edge programs and products. You will work closely with Systems, Avionics, Flight Software, Mission Operations, and Ground Software teams, as well as directly interact with customers to ensure mission success. Rocket Lab's Space Systems team has enabled over 1,700 missions, including interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing, and national security initiatives, with spacecraft and components deployed to the Moon and Mars.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design of flight software, algorithms, and simulation products
- Development of spacecraft autonomy tools for constellation management
- GNC component selection and GNC subsystem design
- Test process development and execution
- Define fault detection and response mechanisms
- Hardware-in-the-loop and Monte Carlo simulation
- Integration of flight and simulation software with modern analysis, test, and operations tools
- Support internal and external design reviews
- Coordinate with teams in Long Beach, CA and New Zealand
- Work with department leads and program managers to plan team schedules, milestones, and report technical status
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCS
- Prior experience directly interfacing with aerospace customers in commercial or government sectors
- U.S. citizenship required due to program requirements (ITAR compliance)
NICE-TO-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's or PhD degree
- Active DoD US Government Secret Security Clearance or ability to obtain and maintain one
- RPOD (Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking) design and operations experience
- Experience with Jira planning and workflow
- Prior experience mentoring younger engineers
- Hands-on experience with IMU, reaction wheels, star trackers, gyroscopes, and other GNC hardware
- Experience developing blended attitude solutions from multiple sensor data sources
- 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 managing multiple simultaneous projects and determining team priorities
- Experience with GNC-related Business Development or conceptual design work
