Director of Guidance, Navigation & Control

Director of Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) | Launch Vehicles | Spacecraft | Flight Dynamics

Location: United States (Aerospace Hub)

Salary: $163,200 – $250,000 Base + Bonus, Equity & Benefits

Industry: Aerospace | Space Launch | Spacecraft | Flight Control Systems

Lead the Systems That Guide Rockets to Orbit

An innovative aerospace company developing next-generation launch vehicles and spacecraft is seeking a Director of Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) to build and lead the organization responsible for vehicle guidance, flight dynamics, navigation systems, and control algorithms
.

This is a hands‑on technical leadership role combining deep expertise in GNC algorithms, modeling and simulation, and flight system integration with the opportunity to recruit and scale a high‑performing engineering team
.

You will define the GNC technical roadmap
, develop advanced simulation environments
, and work closely with flight software, avionics, propulsion, and vehicle systems teams to ensure reliable vehicle performance from liftoff through orbital insertion
.

• Build and lead the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) engineering team
• Define the GNC architecture, control algorithms, and trajectory design strategy
• Develop and maintain high‑fidelity modeling and simulation environments
• Implement modern engineering infrastructure for simulation, testing, and analysis
• Establish verification and validation frameworks including simulation and hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) testing
• Partner with flight software, avionics, propulsion, and vehicle systems teams on system interfaces and requirements
• Support launch operations and mission control activities
  , including countdown and flight analysis
• Analyze flight data and ground test results to refine models and improve control performance
• Lead cross‑disciplinary system integration and problem solving

• 10+ years of experience in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) for aerospace vehicles
• Demonstrated expertise in GNC algorithm development, trajectory design, and flight simulation
• Strong experience with control systems for real flight vehicles
• Proven ability to lead and scale high‑performing engineering teams
• Deep knowledge of navigation sensors and state estimation including IMUs, GPS, and navigation systems
• Experience with system‑level integration across complex aerospace systems
• Strong experience with model‑based design tools such as Simulink
• Excellent leadership, mentoring, and technical communication skills
• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field

• Experience building Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop (HIL) testing environments
• Familiarity with modern engineering automation tools for simulation and testing
• Experience supporting launch operations or mission control
• Exposure to advanced data analysis or machine learning tools applied to engineering workflows
• Background in rapid development aerospace or space startup environments

You will be responsible for building the GNC capability that guides rockets and spacecraft through flight
, ensuring mission success from launch through orbital insertion
.

This role provides the opportunity to shape core flight algorithms, simulation infrastructure, and engineering processes that will define the performance and reliability of next‑generation space systems.

• Bonus, Equity, and Full Benefits

Interested or know someone in GNC leadership?

Reach out directly to learn more about this opportunity to lead the flight control and guidance systems behind next‑generation launch vehicles and spacecraft.