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Senior GNC Engineer (Spacecraft)

Playa Vista, California, United States

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

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.  

#LI-FH1

ITAR Compliance:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  
 
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.  
 
Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.  If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.

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