Flight Systems Futures - Staff GN&C Engineer

This Staff Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) Engineer role supports Flight Systems Futures in Roy, Utah, focusing on flight simulator development, GN&C algorithm development and implementation, and rigorous model and requirements verification and validation. The engineer will lead the development of a 6-DOF missile flight simulation, design and integrate GN&C algorithms for missile flight software, and conduct system-level performance assessments. The role also involves hardware-in-the-loop testing, mentoring junior engineers, and serving as a technical liaison with customers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, verification, and validation of a 6-DOF missile flight simulation in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Design, implement, and integrate guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) algorithms for missile flight software.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance analysis and performance-assessment tools for GN&C algorithms using MATLAB, C++, and Python.
• Model missile components such as inertial measurement units (IMU) and thrust vector control (TVC) systems.
• Conduct system-level performance assessments against mission requirements and produce clear, data-driven validation reports.
• Analyze flight-test data and perform accuracy assessments to calibrate and refine GN&C models.
• Apply trajectory optimization and nonlinear control techniques to improve missile trajectory performance.
• Develop and execute hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing and real-time software integration for embedded GN&C controllers.
• Work with the GN&C Flight Software Team to automatically generate code from high-level specifications or models, ensuring consistency and reducing manual errors.
• Manage version control, continuous integration, and automated testing of GN&C software toolchains (e.g., Git, CI/CD pipelines).
• Serve as a technical liaison with customers and internal stakeholders, presenting analysis, findings, and recommendations.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical documentation, best practices, and knowledge transfer across the team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with 12 years of experience; or master’s degree with 10 years of experience; or PhD with 8 years of experience
• Must be a US Citizen with an active DoD Secret Clearance, at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years.
• Must have the ability to obtain Top Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period, as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
• 5 years of experience developing a 6 DOF flight dynamics model for a hypersonic vehicle
• 5 years of experience developing autopilot algorithms for hypersonic vehicles
• 5 years of experience evaluating impacts of control effectors on guidance and control (latency, bandwidth, etc.)
• 5 years of experience designing, analyzing, and tuning autopilot algorithms for missile, hypersonic, or unmanned aircraft systems.
• 5 years of experience developing targeting and guidance laws for hypersonic vehicles.
• 5 years of experience with MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and code generation
• Participation in at least one flight test program (e.g., sounding rocket, missile, UAV)

Nice to have

• Experience evaluating impacts of navigation sensors on guidance and control (latency, frequency, etc.)
• Knowledge of Advanced control theory (state space, optimal, robust, nonlinear, adaptive)
• Knowledge of Flight dynamics of high Mach vehicles (aerodynamics, thermodynamics, propulsion integration)
• Knowledge of Navigation and sensor fusion (INS, GPS, star tracker, lidar)
• Knowledge of Real-time embedded systems and hard real time constraints
• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded code (preferably MISRA C compliant)
• Python for data analysis & rapid prototyping
• Use of version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with real-time operating systems
• Experience with hardware in the loop (HIL) and software in the loop (SIL) testbeds
• Use of Monte Carlo, robustness, and performance analysis tools
• Knowledge of test article instrumentation, telemetry, and fault diagnostics
• Familiarity with hypersonic phenomena: shock wave interactions, real gas effects, ablative heating, plasma communication blackout
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams (aero, structures, thermal, software)
• Clear communication of technical concepts to non-specialists
• Proven track record of troubleshooting complex real time systems
• Experience in deploying algorithms to software, hardware, and testing.
• Experience designing guidance laws for precision strike, including trajectory shaping to meet impact angle, impact time, and footprint constraints.
• Experience formulating and implementing pierce point / multi segment guidance laws spanning exoatmospheric and endoatmospheric flight regimes.
• Experience developing path shaping guidance for sensor constrained flight (e.g., maintaining required pointing, field of view, and dwell time for onboard seekers or other sensors).
• Experience integrating guidance law design with navigation and control to achieve stringent terminal accuracy and precision impact requirements in contested environments.

Benefits

• - Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• - 401k
• - Educational Assistance
• - Life Insurance
• - Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• - Paid Time Off
• - Health & Wellness Resources
• - Employee Discounts