Flight Systems Futures - GN&C Engineer 3/4

Northrop Grumman•Roy, UT

6d•$98,400 - $184,200•Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking Principal / Sr. Principal GN&C Engineer to support activities including flight simulator development, GN&C algorithm development and implementation, and "test as you fly" with rigorous model and requirements verification and validation. This position will be in Roy, Utah supporting Flight Systems Futures. The selected engineer in this role will develop and mature guidance and control (G&C) algorithms, guidance laws for trajectory shaping, and high-fidelity 6-DOF flight simulations for complex aerospace systems. This includes designing guidance laws to meet mission-specific trajectory and end-game performance objectives, and tuning control laws using classical and modern control techniques (PID, gain scheduling, optimal and robust control) while integrating these algorithms into simulation and flight software environments. The engineer will enhance existing G&C analysis tools, perform covariance and circular-error-probable (CEP) accuracy assessments, and contribute to emerging mission capabilities across advanced programs. The ideal candidate is a collaborative team player and strong independent contributor who demonstrates ownership of tasks, initiative, and sound technical judgment. They show advanced problem-solving skills and excellent written and verbal communication, coupled with strong interpersonal and organizational capabilities, a proactive mindset, and a meticulous, detail-oriented approach to their work.

Requirements

Principal GN&C Engineer: Bachelor's degree in STEM and 5 years of experience, 3 years of experience with master’s degree, 0 years of experience with PhD.
Sr. Principal GN&C Engineer: Bachelor's degree in STEM and 8 years of experience, 6 years of experience with master’s degree, 4 years of experience with PhD.
Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years
Must have the ability to obtain Top Secret Clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable period as determined by the business needs of the company. (For Principal)
Must have current Special Access Program (SAP) approval at time of hire. (For Sr. Principal)
1 year of experience developing autopilot algorithms for flight vehicles (For Principal)
2 years of experience developing autopilot algorithms for flight vehicles (For Sr. Principal)
1 year of experience with guidance law design for trajectory shaping and precision impact requirements. (For Principal)
2 years of experience with guidance law design for trajectory shaping and precision impact requirements. (For Sr. Principal)
1 year of experience with MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and code generation (For Principal)
3 years of experience with MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and code generation (For Sr. Principal)
1 year of experience working in multidisciplinary teams (aero, structures, thermal, software) (For Principal)
2 years of experience working in multidisciplinary teams (aero, structures, thermal, software) (For Sr. Principal)

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Navigation and sensor fusion (INS, GPS, star tracker, lidar)
Knowledge of Flight dynamics of high Mach vehicles (aerodynamics, thermodynamics, propulsion integration)
Knowledge of Advanced control theory (state space, optimal, robust, nonlinear, adaptive)
Proven track record of troubleshooting complex real time systems
Knowledge of Real-time embedded systems and hard real-time constraints
Experience in deploying algorithms to software, hardware, and testing.
Python for data analysis & rapid prototyping
Use of version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
Familiarity with real-time operating systems
Experience with hardware in the loop (HIL) and software in the loop (SIL) testbeds
Use of Monte Carlo, robustness, and performance analysis tools
Participation in at least one flight test program (e.g., sounding rocket, missile, UAV)
Knowledge of test article instrumentation, telemetry, and fault diagnostics
Familiarity with hypersonic phenomena: shock wave interactions, real gas effects, ablative heating, plasma communication blackout
Experience evaluating impacts of control effectors on guidance and control (latency, bandwidth, etc)
Experience evaluating impacts of navigation sensors on guidance and control (latency, frequency, etc)
Experience developing targeting and guidance laws for hypersonic vehicles.
Experience with linear stability analysis to determine control system stability margins
Experience integrating guidance law design with navigation and control to achieve stringent terminal accuracy and precision impact requirements in contested environments.
Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded code (preferably MISRA C compliant)

Responsibilities

Collaborate with a team of GN&C engineers in an Agile environment to meet critical milestones
Develop, verify, and validate guidance and control algorithms, including guidance laws for trajectory shaping, and 6-DOF flight simulations in a multi-disciplinary team environment
Perform trajectory assessment, flight analyses, covariance analysis, and CEP/accuracy evaluations
Enhance and maintain G&C analysis tools to support new mission requirements and performance tuning
Apply trajectory optimization and nonlinear control techniques to improve missile trajectory performance.
Participate in engineering review boards, technical interchange meetings, and critical milestone reviews
Work with the GN&C Flight Software Team to automatically generate code from high-level specifications or models, ensuring consistency and reducing manual errors
Model key subsystems such as IMUs, control actuators, and propulsion / thrust-vector control for use in G&C design and simulation
Use C++ and MATLAB with object-oriented design principles to implement and analyze G&C software
Collaborate closely with GN&C flight software teams to transition guidance and control algorithms into flight-worthy implementations