Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineers - Level 3 - TS Cleared (AHT)
About The Position
Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking candidates for a Level 3 Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer supporting spacecraft programs for DoD, NASA, and commercial customers. The role may be based in Dulles, Virginia, or Gilbert, Arizona, and is 100% onsite with no telecommuting. The team works on spacecraft subsystems, including space-based autonomous rendezvous and docking and small satellites. This posting is intended to identify candidates for future openings and does not represent a current opening. The engineer will design, analyze, and test spacecraft GNC subsystems and algorithms, including attitude and position control, relative guidance, navigation filtering, and spacecraft performance. Work also includes early-phase design analyses, simulation model development, documentation, and presenting results to internal and external customers. The role requires an active/current U.S. Government DoD Top Secret clearance at application, with the ability to obtain and maintain SAP and SCI approval/access within a reasonable period. Travel is listed as 10% of the time.
Requirements
- Active/current U.S. Government DoD Top Secret security clearance at the time of application, current and within scope; ability to obtain and maintain SAP approval and SCI approval/access within a reasonable period.
- Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of relevant engineering experience; alternatively, an additional 4 or more years of experience may be considered in lieu of a completed degree.
- Alternatively, a master’s degree and 3 years of relevant engineering experience, or a Ph.D. and 1 year of relevant engineering experience.
- Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++.
- Experience in GNC subsystem design, analysis, and testing; experience with an Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) may qualify.
Nice To Haves
- Current/active TS clearance with SCI.
- MS or Ph.D. in engineering, physics, or mathematics.
- Experience with version control tools such as SVN or Git.
- Experience implementing spacecraft GNC algorithms on embedded systems.
- Strong technical fundamentals in spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, navigation filtering, and/or control systems design.
- Experience with on-orbit space vehicle operations, commanding, debugging, and using flight telemetry to track performance metrics.
- Experience with RPO algorithms, practices, and planning strategies.
- Experience performing spacecraft GNC design, analysis, hardware work, Integration & Test (I&T), or flight operations.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Previous or current membership or leadership roles in professional groups, clubs, or extracurricular activities.
Responsibilities
- Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude and position control loops using time- and frequency-domain techniques.
- Design and analyze relative guidance solutions for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).
- Design, analyze, and tune sequential filters, such as Kalman filters, for attitude determination and relative navigation.
- Analyze and test spacecraft GNC subsystem performance using simulations and other analytical tools.
- Perform early design-phase concept analyses, including actuator sizing and placement, sensor selection and placement, guidance, rendezvous, proximity operations and docking analyses, and predicted performance assessments.
- Develop simulation models for sensors, actuators, system dynamics, and the space environment.
- Apply engineering principles, industry standards, company processes, and knowledge of vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, classical and modern control, and estimation theory to program and project goals.
- Document designs, analyses, and test results and create presentation materials.
- Present designs, analyses, and test results to internal and external customers.
- Work effectively within small- to medium-sized groups.
Benefits
- Health insurance coverage
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Savings plan
- Company-paid holidays
- Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
- Potential overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus, depending on the position
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
