Lead GNC Engineer

Responsibilities

• Serve as the responsible engineer and technical lead for all GNC matters.
• Establish the GNC architecture, technical roadmap, development processes and verification strategy.
• Develop six-degree-of-freedom vehicle simulations and dynamics models.
• Develop flight trajectories, guidance algorithms, state-estimation systems and control laws.
• Model vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, actuators, sensors and environmental disturbances.
• Define GNC requirements for sensors, flight computers, actuators and propulsion systems.
• Develop Monte Carlo analysis and vehicle-robustness processes.
• Lead software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Integrate GNC algorithms with flight software and avionics.
• Support flight-test planning, execution and anomaly resolution.
• Lead post-flight reconstruction and model correlation.
• Own GNC risks through design reviews and flight-readiness reviews.
• Help recruit, mentor and lead future members of the GNC team.

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to lead and execute in a similar role.
• 5–10 years of relevant experience developing GNC for rockets, spacecraft, aircraft, missiles, drones or other autonomous vehicles.
• Flight sciences experience, including building aero databases, analyzing aerodynamic performance, and validating models through simulation and flight-test data.
• Strong understanding of rigid-body dynamics, state estimation, control theory and numerical simulation.
• Experience owning GNC architecture and making technical decisions across an integrated vehicle program.
• Experience implementing GNC algorithms in flight software.
• Experience with Monte Carlo analysis, software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Demonstrated experience testing or flying an autonomous vehicle.
• Ability to lead technical work across avionics, propulsion, aerodynamics, systems and test teams.
• Willingness to be highly hands-on in a small, fast-moving hardware organization.

Qualifications

• Experience building or leading a small GNC team.
• Experience with vertical-takeoff and vertical-landing vehicles.
• Experience with thrust-vector control, powered descent or engine relight.
• Experience with hypersonic, ballistic or atmospheric-entry trajectories.
• Experience with multi-engine vehicles.
• Experience with flight-safety systems and range operations.
• Prior work at a fast-moving startup.
• Hop Aero will only consider U.S. persons as defined by ITAR for this role.
• Hop Aero will not sponsor visas for this role.