Principal GNC Engineer

This position offers FULLY REMOTE opportunities for candidates across the United States. Preferred work locations:
Arlington VA, Denver CO, Houston, TX or Merritt Island, FL.

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc offers advanced solutions to meet the most complex U.S. defense, security, space, and intelligence requirements. Celebrating over 50 years in the US, we remain a trusted government partner, leveraging world‑class satellite, laser communication, rotor and fixed wing solutions to help our national security, defense and space focused customers meet their missions.

Airbus U.S. is looking for an experienced Guidance, Navigation, and Control engineer to develop solutions for satellite Guidance, Navigation, and Control system. We're looking for candidates who can bring exceptional engineering skills and strong experience in aerospace programs to the team.

The Principal GNC Engineer's primary responsibility will be contributing to the development of Airbus U.S.'s satellite GNC systems. This engineer will be involved in the full lifecycle of development, from requirements definition through operations. Being at the cutting edge of space technology, we need someone who is eager to learn, grow, and take on new and potentially unfamiliar challenges. There is no shortage of fascinating problems to solve.

• Design and implement GNC designs for new spacecraft designs to accommodate a variety of new mission payloads onto Airbus spacecraft platforms.
• Analyze, design, and/or develop GNC systems to include:
  • Sensors and actuators
  • Algorithms and flight software
  • GNC electronics
• Support the development of subsystem level requirements and requirement flow‑down to the various components and parts as necessary - in all phases of the development lifecycle with particular emphasis on Design for Cost/Design for Manufacturability/Design for Test approaches.
• Ensure the maximum reuse of the existing Airbus heritage products and if necessary identify need for modification.
• Ability to drive multiple design activities (programs or mission) - could lead to spacecraft, payload, satellite bus, and/or launch integration activities.
• Demonstrated ability to participate in cross‑functional planning, coordination, and task execution situations involving the full spectrum of engineering and integration activities.

• Support Airbus spacecraft development product roadmap: includes design adjustments, schedule, and cost targets aligned for future business captures.
• Support the definition of spacecraft customization process for customer mission needs.

• Perform all the necessary GNC system engineering activities to build, to maintain and to evolve the Airbus spacecraft products.
• Promote and optimize cost savings by reuse of the heritage platform designs and manufacturing infrastructures in the pursuit of various constellation prospects.

• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas.
• Preferred:
  Master's in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas.

• 15+ years' experience in guidance, navigation and control system analysis, design and verification on spacecraft.

• Proficiency with Matlab/Simulink and STK
• Proficiency modeling, simulating, and analyzing the performance of spacecraft GNC sensors, actuators, dynamics and algorithms.
• Familiarity and experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (SysML/UML) and processes that include requirements, architectures, interfaces and trade studies.
• Familiarity with software development, verification, and validation.
• Experience with object oriented programming (C, C++) and scripting languages (TCL, Python)

• Periodic travel (less than 20%) to Airbus U.S. facilities or partner companies.
• Occasional International travel to collaborate with European Airbus counterparts.

• US Citizenship is required.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Government security clearance.

• Visi…