Principal GNC Engineer

Space Systems

This is a rare opportunity to play a key role in Rocket Lab’s evolution into an end-to-end space company that delivers launch, spacecraft, and on-orbit operations. The Space Systems Division is shaping Rocket Lab’s future with Photon, our brand of high-performance satellites, enabling innovative missions in low Earth orbit and beyond including missions for NASA to LEO, the Moon, and Mars and commercial customers, including leading the design and manufacture of 17 high-power telecommunication spacecraft buses for Globalstar.

Rocket Lab is also growing our spacecraft components business, anchored on the acquisition of Sinclair Interplanetary manufacturing reaction wheels and star trackers in Toronto, SolAero Technologies manufacturing solar power and primary structure solutions in Albuquerque, Planetary Systems Corporation manufacturing launch separation systems in Silver Spring, and Advanced Solutions, Inc., provider of flight and ground software as a service in Denver. Our components business is key to vertically integrating our spacecraft solutions and enabling constellations for customers.

Principal GNC Engineer

Based out of Rocket Lab's Colorado office in Littleton, the Principal GNC Engineer must demonstrate a firm grasp of spacecraft GNC concepts and applications. Work to include all facets of the engineering life cycle: spacecraft concept and algorithm development, subsystem requirements development, detailed GNC design, subsystem integration & test (I&T), and vehicle I&T. You will support the Space Systems organization, with deliverables required for internal leadership, board of directors, and investors.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

• ADCS spacecraft design and modeling 
• Monte-Carlo analysis 
• Development of Kalman filters 
• Performing hardware-in-the-loop simulation 
• Working in a team environment as well as individually 
• Supporting design reviews and other customer-facing meetings 

YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS (Note: you must meet every qualification in order to be considered):

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or other technical discipline
• 12+ years of spacecraft design/development experience including development in control systems
• Knowledge of GNC sensors and actuators
• Proficiency in STK
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink
• Knowledge of all spacecraft subsystems
• 5+ years’ experience with C++ and object-oriented programming
• Ability to write clear, well-tested, well-documented software
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• US Citizen or US person

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Master’s degree in engineering or other technical discipline
• Experience with the following:
• Rendezvous, proximity ops, and docking (RPOD)
• Entry, decent, and landing
• Lunar or Mars missions
• Atmospheric GNC
• Flex, slosh, and multi-body modeling
• State space and frequency domain analysis