Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineer – Level 2
About The Position
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history. Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineer – Level 2 supporting a team located in McLean and Dulles, VA, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work. This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off. The GNC team designs, builds, and tests spacecraft subsystems for a mix of DoD, NASA, and commercial customers. We are leaders in innovative solutions to the rapidly growing/evolving fields of space based autonomous rendezvous and docking and rapid design/production of small satellites.
Requirements
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government DoD Top-Secret (TS) security clearance and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) approval/access [TS/SCI] within a reasonable period of time. US citizenship is required.
- Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 2 years of relevant engineering experience - OR - Master’s degree with a minimum of 0 years of relevant engineering experience [May consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of a completed degree]
- Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++
- Experience in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem design, analysis, and testing; can include Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS)
Nice To Haves
- Active TS/SCI
- MS or PhD in engineering, physics, or math
- Experience with version control tools such as SVN or Git
- Experience implementing spacecraft GNC algorithms on embedded systems
- Strong technical fundamentals in the areas of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, navigation filtering and/or control systems design
- Experience with on-orbit space vehicle operations, commanding, debugging, and use of flight telemetry to track performance metrics
- Experience with Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) algorithms, practices and planning strategies
- Experience with performing spacecraft GNC design, analysis, Hardware (HW) and Integration & Test (I&T), or flight operations.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Previous/current membership or leadership roles in professional groups, clubs, or extracurricular activities are desired
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 (e.g. Kalman filters) for attitude determination and relative navigation
- Analyze and test the spacecraft GNC subsystem performance using simulations and other analytic tools
- Perform analysis to support early design phase concept development including actuator sizing and placement, sensor selection and placement, attitude and position guidance, rendezvous, proximity operations and docking analyses, and predicted performance assessments
- Develop simulation models for sensors (e.g. star tracker, rate gyro, accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer, sun sensors), actuators (e.g. reaction wheel, torque bar, thruster, CMG), system dynamics (e.g. rigid body, multi-body, orbit mechanics, flexible models, propellant slosh), and the space environment (e.g. atmospheric, solar radiation pressure, third-body gravity, geopotential)
- Apply engineering principles, industry standards, company process, and knowledge of vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, classical/modern control, and estimation theory to perform tasks to advanced program/project goals
- Document designs, analysis, and test results and create presentation materials
- Present designs, analysis, and test results to internal and external customers
- Work well within small- to medium-sized groups
Benefits
- Relocation assistance may be available
- health insurance coverage
- life and disability insurance
- savings plan
- Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
- overtime
- shift differential
- discretionary bonus
- Annual bonuses
- Long Term Incentives (for VP or Director positions)
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
