Guidance Navigations & Controls Lead Engineer

GNC Lead Engineer – (Nova-C)

About Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting-edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With the first commercial lunar landing in history, multiple NASA lunar missions in development, and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting our customers and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon. Our world-class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on-orbit operations, and safety.

About The Position

Intuitive Machines is seeking a Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Lead Engineer with expertise in spacecraft navigation and control system software to join our team.  In this role, you will lead a team to design and build the GNC system for the Nova-C lunar lander.   In addition, this position will serve as Supervisor for the Flight Control Automation group within the Flight Dynamics division at Intuitive Machines.  The applicant will be located on-site in Houston, TX. The candidate will work in a cross-functional team on the design, development, and testing of the GNC software for the Nova-C lunar lander.  

Responsibilities:

• As GNC Lead Engineer you will assist in the design, analysis, and implementation of the Nova-C GNC systems
• Maintain budget and schedule for the GNC subsystem development for the Nova-C lunar lander
• Work closely with the Nova-C lander team across software and hardware systems while overseeing a team of GNC engineers
• Develop and peer review GNC flight software in C and C++
• Size, assess, and select GNC sensors, actuators and propulsion systems, performing make-vs-buy trades as needed
• Execute 6-DOF simulations to evaluate expected on-orbit performance
• Where applicable, you will also coordinate and lead internal efforts to develop ground test equipment and custom flight hardware
  • Drive software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing for GNC algorithms and hardware verification
• Oversee and manage the team responsible for the GNC design for multiple complete spacecraft mission lifecycles
• Act as Supervisor for the Flight Control Automation group, prefer experience with
  • Mathematical modeling of dynamic control systems
  • Definition of flight control system specifications and requirements and flight control requirements for sensors, actuators, and controllers
  • Design and analysis of controllers using classical control system design approaches 
  • Flight control analysis assessing vehicle performance and stability margins for an orbital spacecraft operating in a variety of mission phases

Qualifications:

• MS or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or related field with 8+ years of experience, with emphasis in the area of space GNC systems is required
• Experience leading small technical teams
• Experience programming in C/C++.
• Familiarity with software engineering tools and processes (version control, code review)
• Understanding of guidance, navigation, and control algorithms, coordinate systems and transformations
• Deep knowledge of estimation and control theory
• Extensive experience running dynamics simulations for spacecraft
• Extensive experience with mathematical modeling of dynamic control systems
• Definition of flight control system specifications and requirements and flight control requirements for sensors, actuators, and controllers
• Design and analysis of controllers using classical control system design approaches 
• Flight control analysis assessing vehicle performance and stability margins for an orbital spacecraft operating in a variety of mission phases
• Positive mental attitude with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Willingness and desire to document and communicate technical solutions with team

Preferred Qualifications:

• Solid experience with real-time software, C/C++, Python, Trick, Monte Carlo analysis
• Experience leading lean, agile teams

US EEO Statement

Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.