Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) Engineer #2

Fortastra Corporation • Torrance, CA

69d • Onsite

About The Position

Fortastra is seeking a Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer to architect, implement, and validate flight-critical algorithms supporting autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations (RPO), formation flying, and precision maneuvering. The ideal candidate combines deep technical rigor in control theory, state estimation, and orbital mechanics with hands-on experience integrating algorithms into embedded flight software and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft, launch vehicle, or autonomous system GNC.
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, Python, and C/C++.
• Demonstrated experience with Kalman filtering, nonlinear control, and state estimation.
• Proven ability to transition algorithms from simulation to flight in operational environments.
• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain or have an active TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and tune GNC algorithms for relative motion, formation flying, and autonomous RPO.
• Develop and validate attitude determination and control systems (ADCS) and orbit determination filters.
• Model and simulate orbital dynamics, spacecraft trajectories, and environmental disturbances.
• Perform state estimation and sensor fusion using IMUs, GPS, star trackers, LiDAR, and optical navigation sensors.
• Integrate GNC algorithms into embedded flight software (C/C++ and Python) and test in HIL and flight-like environments.
• Conduct Monte Carlo analysis and performance verification under uncertainty and failure scenarios.
• Collaborate with systems, avionics, and autonomy teams to deliver mission-ready architectures.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior