Senior GNC Controls Engineer

Astranis•San Francisco, CA

7d•$140,000 - $230,000

About The Position

As a Controls Engineer on the GNC team, you will own control algorithms from design through to operation in orbit, and you will develop tooling to analyze and tune our existing controllers.

Requirements

B.S. or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
5+ years of industry experience in GNC, controls, or a closely adjacent discipline
Strong fundamentals in classical and modern control theory, including frequency-domain analysis (Bode plots, Nyquist, gain/phase margins)
Experience designing and implementing closed-loop control systems for dynamic systems
Experience with gain optimization, linearization, and controls tooling development
Demonstrated experience modeling flexible body dynamics and mitigating their effects through system design and control systems
Proficiency in Python for algorithm development and simulation
Experience with modern C++ for on-board software
Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, iterative environment
US Citizenship or Green Card

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with spacecraft attitude control systems (reaction wheels, thrusters, gimbals)
Understanding of orbital mechanics and geostationary stationkeeping strategies
Familiarity with electric or chemical propulsion-based control (e.g., stationkeeping, momentum management maneuvers)
Background in estimation theory or Kalman filtering for attitude/orbit determination
Hands-on experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing or real-time simulation environments
Experience supporting live satellite operations or anomaly resolution
Experience with AI tooling and agentic workflows

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and test closed-loop control algorithms for precise pointing, station-keeping, detumble, and desaturation maneuvers for satellites in orbit
Develop and maintain high-fidelity satellite simulations to validate GNC control algorithms prior to flight
Validate and verify algorithm performance through software simulation, Monte Carlo analysis, hardware in the loop, and on-orbit testing
Perform stability analysis in both time and frequency domains, including gain tuning, margin assessment, and notch filter design for structural flex modes
Support system identification efforts using in-orbit telemetry to refine onboard models and improve controller performance
Ability to effectively collaborate with interdisciplinary teams on large projects
Develop operational procedures and provide mission planning support
Support GNC operations for our fleet of satellites, including on-console and on-call rotations
Support in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly growing team