Orbit Determination and Navigation Engineer
About The Position
Intuitive Machines’ subsidiary, KinetX Aerospace, is seeking an Orbit Determination (OD) and Navigation Engineer at Level III (Lead) or Level IV (Technical Expert) to join the OD group within FDI. Level III engineers lead assigned OD efforts and guide others in technical execution and quality. Level IV engineers provide technical expertise for complex OD work across mission phases and oversee multiple analyses, products, and software capabilities. Placement will reflect demonstrated competencies. The role supports daily orbit determination solutions and trajectory reconstructions, covariance analyses, tracking-data quality assessments, and evaluation of forces affecting spacecraft trajectories. It produces trajectory updates supporting maneuver design, reference trajectories, and science observations. The position also leads or oversees complex OD analyses, software development, project execution, quality processes, technical documentation, and coordination with mission operations, customers, engineering teams, and management. Level IV responsibilities include technical leadership across mission phases, complex project and software oversight, and resolving challenging modeling, estimation, reliability, and interoperability issues.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related discipline.
- GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Clear technical writing and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to collaborate with engineering and mission operations teams.
- U.S. citizenship.
- Specialized OD knowledge and demonstrated ability to lead complex analyses, develop estimation and validation approaches, and interpret residuals, covariance, and solution behavior to support operational decisions.
- Experience leading technical work and guiding engineers, conducting quality and code reviews, and improving analysis methods and software reliability, repeatability, and traceability.
- Ability to anticipate technical risks, coordinate customers and cross-functional teams, manage multiple project schedules and budgets, and oversee technical documentation and management reporting.
- Proficiency in Python and OD software workflows, with sound practices in version control, testing, and configuration management.
- Ability to independently execute OD analyses, apply relevant aerospace quality standards, and communicate findings to mission teams and customers.
- For Level IV, recognized technical expertise in OD and demonstrated ability to guide complex analyses across mission phases, select estimation and observability strategies, and resolve difficult issues in tracking data, modeling, estimation stability, covariance realism, and solution credibility.
- For Level IV, experience leading development and integration of complex OD software, including architecture, interfaces, validation, and operational readiness.
- For Level IV, ability to resolve performance, reliability, interoperability, and long-term support challenges.
- For Level IV, demonstrated ability to oversee multiple complex OD projects from planning through completion, manage schedules and budgets, and guide teams in high-pressure situations.
- For Level IV, experience overseeing quality verification, leading research and process improvements, maintaining technical records, and communicating with executives.
- Availability to travel and work extended hours for team meetings and operations support as needed.
- Willingness to cross-train in other deep space navigation disciplines to support the KinetX multi-mission workforce.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related discipline.
- Coursework, research, or work experience in two or more of statistical orbit determination, estimation, astrodynamics, statistics, linear control theory, or Kalman filtering.
- Familiarity with deep space mission operations, deep space OD processes, tracking data types, optical navigation image processing, or flight path control.
- Experience with macOS or Linux environments and additional programming languages such as C, C++, Perl, MATLAB, or Fortran.
Responsibilities
- Support daily OD solutions and trajectory reconstructions, covariance analyses, tracking data quality assessments, and evaluation of forces affecting spacecraft trajectories.
- Produce trajectory updates supporting maneuver design, reference trajectories, and science observations.
- Lead complex OD analyses and product development for assigned efforts.
- Define estimation strategies and validation methods, diagnose residual and covariance issues, and establish quality checks to reduce solution risks.
- Serve as lead liaison with mission operations, customers, and engineering teams; manage priorities, effort, schedules, and budgets across multiple projects; and report progress and issues to management.
- Improve OD methods and software workflows, establish test approaches, review code, and guide other engineers.
- Oversee technical documentation and anticipate problems affecting mission objectives.
- At Level IV, provide technical leadership for complex OD efforts across mission phases, determining estimation approaches, tracking data usage, observability strategies, optical navigation and maneuver support, and validation plans.
- At Level IV, resolve difficult issues involving modeling assumptions, estimation stability, covariance realism, and solution credibility.
- At Level IV, oversee the planning, design, development, and verification of multiple complex OD efforts; lead projects from conception through completion; define requirements with stakeholders; and manage schedules, resources, and budgets.
- At Level IV, ensure accuracy standards are met, review data and modeling issues before product release, and communicate progress and technical decisions to executives.
- At Level IV, lead development and integration of complex OD software capabilities, including architecture, data flow, interface control, validation, and operational readiness.
- At Level IV, resolve software reliability and interoperability issues, guide engineers through difficult problems under pressure, and lead research and continuous improvements to OD tools, processes, and product quality.
- Travel and work extended hours for team meetings and operations support as needed.
- Cross-train in other deep space navigation disciplines to support the KinetX multi-mission workforce.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
