Senior GNC Engineer (Spacecraft)

Who We Are:

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse-drawn chariots, ocean-going 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:

As a Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer at Inversion, you will have an instrumental impact on the functionality and performance of our next-generation reentry vehicles. This is a unique opportunity to work on the early stages of vehicle design, including defining vehicle architecture and creatively solving new design challenges. In this role, you will:

• Work with other disciplines to determine Arc’s on-orbit power, communications, thermal, and station-keeping requirements and feasibility.

• Architect the vehicle’s sensor and actuator selection and placement in addition to the vehicle’s core pointing modes. 

• Design and implement Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) algorithms for satellite deployment and operations.

• Perform orbital mechanics analyses to trade constellations and trajectories.

• Collaborate closely with avionics teams for component integration and calibration.

• Explore mission design concepts for orbital deltaV maneuvers.

• Lead technical discussions and contribute to the overall mission architecture for satellite deployment and operation.

• Operate with significant autonomy.

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, a related field, or equivalent experience.

• Typically 9+ years of applicable experience (Senior) or 6+ years of applicable experience (Level III) in spacecraft GNC analysis or development.

• Experience with systems engineering for attitude, determination, and control systems (including requirements definition, system trades, etc.).

• Experience with a LEO spacecraft program from conception to operation.

• Strong fundamental understanding of spacecraft dynamics and orbital mechanics.

• Experience with component calibration and alignment as well as vehicle-level integration and test practices.

• Experience with spacecraft estimation and control algorithms.

• 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.

• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, a related field, or equivalent experience.

• Familiarity with on-orbit operations.

• Familiarity with fault management practices.

• Experience with CI/CD practices.

• Experience architecting a GNC system from a systems level.

• Experience with mission analysis and design.

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in-office presence.

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $140,000-$183,000.  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.  

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