GNC Engineer (Constellations)

Who We Are: 

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse drawn carriage, ocean faring boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world.  We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.    

What You’ll Do: 

Inversion’s reentry vehicles are the first satellite platform capable of returning to Earth. As a Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer, you will focus on developing tools and analyses for designing, deploying, and managing satellite constellations. You will work alongside our mission design, software, and vehicle engineering teams to optimize orbital deployments, conduct orbital mechanics analyses, and develop innovative solutions for constellation management. In this role, you will: 

• Develop, test, and refine satellite constellation deployment tools and algorithms. 
• Perform orbital mechanics analyses to optimize satellite placement and trajectories. 
• Design and implement guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms for satellite deployment and operations. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate GNC systems with satellite hardware and software. 
• Explore mission design concepts for orbital deltaV maneuvers. 
• Lead technical discussions and contribute to the overall mission architecture for satellite deployment. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience in a relevant field with a minimum of 1+ years of professional experience. 
• Strong fundamental understanding of orbital mechanics and astrodynamics. 
• Experience with mathematical analysis in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems. 
• Proficiency in programming languages such as MATLAB, Python, or C++ for simulation and analysis. 
• Ability to think creatively to optimize systems and solve complex problems. 

Desired Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree or PhD in GNC or Orbital Mechanics / Astrodynamics. 
• Familiarity with simulation tools and software for orbital mechanics and GNC, such as STK or GMAT. 
• Experience with numerical optimization algorithms 
• Experience with mission analysis and design. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 
• Experience integrating GNC systems onto spacecraft. 

 

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $94,000-$126,000.  Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.