Director of Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control

About the role

Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Director, Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the VP, Space & Mission Systems, the Director, Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control will lead a team of GNC engineers, plan and manage GNC projects, and provide technical mentorship and peer review.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of GNC engineers, ensuring they have clear objectives, adequate resources, and support to meet project milestones
• Lead the design, development, and integration of GNC systems, ensuring they meet the required specifications and standards
• Plan and manage GNC projects, including supporting schedule, budget, and resource allocation in partnership with peer organizations and project management
• Lead troubleshooting of efforts related to GNC systems, applying advanced problem-solving and technical expertise
• Cook up coordination with other departments, stakeholders, and external partners to ensure alignment on GNC projects and initiatives
• Lead continuous improvement efforts, driving efficiencies and innovation in GNC development and maintenance
• Provide technical inputs and support for proposal efforts
• Support mission operations and anomaly resolution
• Prepare and present formal and informal reports and status to upper management on a weekly basis
• Provide inputs and evaluation of documentation for program milestone reviews

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in an engineering field with a concentration in dynamics and control
• Minimum of 15 years of Guidance, Navigation & Control technical experience, primarily within the space industry
• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading and/or managing engineers
• Demonstrated GNC engineering and software development using MATLAB and Simulink
• Strong fundamental understanding of orbital dynamics and classical mechanics
• Highly motivated, self-starting, and able to perform duties autonomously without supervision
• Strong writing, presentation, and oral communication skills
• Passion for the new space industry
• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance

Skills

• Experience with the design of spacecraft flexible body control, Kalman Filtering, jitter analysis, rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD), fault detection, isolation, recovery protocols.
• Flight dynamics, Monte, navigation, orbit determination and mission operations for GEO and deep space
• Experience with autonomy for satellite, constellation management, orbit insertion, station-keeping, and collision avoidance
• Low and high thrust trajectory design and optimization
• Hands-on experience with small satellites, robotic systems, or similar
• Optical Communication Terminals (OCT)
• Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT)
• C++ and Python experience

Benefits

100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
401(k) Match
Flexible Time Off (FTO)
Education Reimbursement
Competitive Paid Parental Leave