Senior GNC Engineer

Umbra • Santa Barbara, CA

10d

About The Position

We are on the lookout for a highly skilled and experienced Senior GNC Engineer (Guidance, Navigation, and Control), who will be instrumental in the development and delivery of next-generation spacecraft capabilities tailored for Umbra missions. This role sits at the intersection of GNC theory and software implementation, focusing on enabling advanced onboard processing, new mission features, integrated testing, and expanded operational capabilities while maintaining support for legacy systems. Your expertise will be crucial in shaping the architecture, driving algorithm development, and ensuring thorough system integration. Additionally, you will be responsible for producing comprehensive documentation and conducting rigorous testing protocols, all of which are vital to guarantee the successful deployment of mission-critical software that meets the high standards required for our ambitious missions. Our aim is to hire this position to work in either our Santa Barbara/Goleta, CA office or Arlington, VA office.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
• 5-7+ years of relevant experience with GNC algorithm development, flight software implementation, or modeling and simulation.
• Demonstrated experience with orbital mechanics and spacecraft dynamics.
• Experience with setting up, managing, and configuring software-in-the-loop (SITL), hardware-in-the-loop (HITL), and hybrid integrated test environments that involve complex, independent, asynchronous systems with CI/CD pipelines.
• 3+ years of experience using MATLAB/Simulink.
• Demonstrated experience developing or interfacing with embedded software applications in C/C++ or Rust.
• Excellent communication skills for technical documentation and presentations.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in relevant engineering or computer science field.
• 12-15+ years of relevant experience in spacecraft GNC.
• Proficiency with Python.
• Strong familiarity with version control systems (Git), collaborative development, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with any of the following: autonomous spacecraft operations, onboard decision-making, distributed spacecraft systems or constellation operations, LEO or GEO orbit operations, or ground system interfaces and telemetry processing.
• Experience working in fast-paced agile development environments.
• Experience with cross-functional team collaboration (systems, software, ops).

Responsibilities

• Design and implement onboard orbit & attitude determination, sensor processing, guidance, and control algorithms for all orbital regimes.
• Develop 6DOF simulations for spacecraft behavior, including sensors, actuators, and physics.
• Develop autonomous burn planning, optimization, and execution capabilities for spacecraft.
• Transition experimental GNC capabilities into production-ready systems.
• Create automated testing and validation frameworks for spacecraft GNC systems in integrated test environments.
• Provide technical support and troubleshooting for operational missions.
• Create MATLAB/Simulink models and simulations for algorithm development and testing.
• Develop flight software implementations for interfaces of GNC algorithms in Rust.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
• Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
• 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
• Stock Options
• Free Parking
• Free lunch in office daily

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees