Senior GNC Engineer

Job description

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure and actionable? Then you’ve come to the right place! E-Space is bridging Earth and space to enable hyper-scaled deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services. We are building a highly-advanced low Earth orbit (LEO) space system that will fundamentally change the design, economics, manufacturing and service delivery associated with traditional satellite and terrestrial IoT systems. We’re intentional, we’re unapologetically curious and we’re 100% committed to innovate space-based communications and deliver actionable intelligence that will expand global economies, protect space and our planet and enhance our overall quality of life. We are seeking a Senior Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC) Engineer to take a key role in the design, development, simulation, and testing of our satellites’ attitude determination and control system. The role centers on developing, tuning, and validating mission-critical estimation and control algorithms, and on building and maintaining high-fidelity GNC simulation models and tools — running simulation campaigns and analyzing their results to verify system performance. The role requires strong fluency in simulation tools, relevant software languages, and modern development practices. This position is based in our Saratoga, CA office. ### What you will do: - Design, implement, tune, and test satellite attitude estimation and control algorithms. - Develop, maintain, and expand high-fidelity 6-DOF GNC simulation tools, including dynamics, environment, sensor, and actuator models. - Define and run model/software-in-the-loop and Monte Carlo simulation campaigns and build the data processing and analysis tools to assess GNC performance from simulation and flight telemetry. - Participate in GNC software integration into the real-time flight software stack, and support hardware-in-the-loop testing. - Apply rigorous software development and configuration management practices, leveraging modern tooling including AI-assisted development workflows. - Collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide GNC domain expertise and support operations. - Contribute to engineering reviews and produce clear, detailed technical documentation and test reports. ### What you bring to this role: - BS + 6 years / MS + 4 years / PhD + 2 years in Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent, with professional work experience in GNC or another relevant field. - Proven experience owning the design and deployment of advanced control algorithms in safety-critical applications such as aerospace or ground vehicles, including classical, optimal, and robust control. - Experience working with estimation algorithms — comfortable tuning, updating, and validating Kalman filters and related sensor fusion — for attitude determination or similar applications. - Experience developing and tuning GNC models of actuators, sensors, kinematics/dynamics, and environment. - Experience with model-based validation of end-to-end control systems, from stability analysis and model/software-in-the-loop simulations to Monte Carlo campaigns and hardware-in-the-loop testing. - Hands-on experience with C/C++, Python, Git, and Linux, and Matlab/Simulink, with strong practical skills in building, debugging, and testing complex software and algorithms. - Strong initiative, with excellent teamwork, communication, and documentation skills; comfortable in a fast-paced startup environment. ### Bonus points: - Hands-on familiarity with attitude sensor and actuator hardware (IMUs, magnetometers, GNSS receivers, star cameras, reaction wheels, magnetorquers, etc.): hardware characteristics, testing, and calibration. - Experience with space industry practices: design, qualification, acceptance, integration, and operations. - Experience using AI/LLM tools to accelerate development, analysis, and documentation, with sound judgment about their limits. ### Additional Requirements This is a fast-paced, high-impact environment - flexibility to occasionally work extended hours or weekends during critical periods is expected.