Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineering Analyst – Level 5

Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a senior Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineering Analyst – Level 5 located in Dulles, VA, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.

The GNC team designs, builds, and tests spacecraft subsystems for a mix of DoD, NASA, and commercial customers. We are leaders in innovative solutions to the rapidly growing/evolving fields of space based autonomous rendezvous and docking and rapid design/production of small satellites.

This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude and position control loops using time and frequency domain techniques

Design and analyze relative guidance solutions for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO)

Design, analyze, and tune sequential filters (e.g. Kalman filters) for attitude determination and relative navigation

Analyze and test the spacecraft GNC subsystem performance using simulations and other analytic tools

Perform analysis to support early design phase concept development including actuator sizing and placement, sensor selection and placement, attitude and position guidance, rendezvous, proximity operations and docking analyses, and predicted performance assessments

Develop simulation models for sensors (e.g. star tracker, rate gyro, accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer, sun sensors), actuators (e.g. reaction wheel, torque bar, thruster, CMG), system dynamics (e.g. rigid body, multi-body, orbit mechanics, flexible models, propellant slosh), and the space environment (e.g. atmospheric, solar radiation pressure, third-body gravity, geopotential)

Communication is a key element of your role and all GNC engineers are expected to:

Apply engineering principles, industry standards, company process, and knowledge of vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, classical/modern control, and estimation theory to perform tasks to advanced program/project goals

Document designs, analysis, and test results and create presentation materials

Present designs, analysis, and test results to internal and external customers

Work well within small- to medium-sized groups

Other duties as assigned

If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!

This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company.

Basic Qualifications for Level 5:

Bachelor’s degree with 12 years of professional experience – OR – Master’s degree with 10 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 8 years of professional experience. Will consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of degree.

Requires an active U.S. Government Top-Secret [ TS ] security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with the ability to obtain and maintain SCI approval/access

Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++

Experience in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem design, analysis, and testing; can include Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS)