Senior GNC Engineer- Mission Formulation

About The Role

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access to space. The rockets and satellites we build and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations.

Based out of Rocket Lab’s site in Littleton, CO, the GNC Engineer II/ Senior GNC Engineer I - Mission Formulation is responsible for:

• Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) design, modeling, analyses, and testing for Rocket Lab launches and missions.
• Play an integral part of Rocket Lab’s Global Launch Services (GLS) Mission Formulation Team, which works closely with other Engineering teams and Production to bring new launch and mission concepts to life.
• Responsible for launching and mission operational concept development, orbital and suborbital trajectory design and analysis, work with external stakeholders and customers for mission-specific requirements engineering, document proposed GNC solutions and participate in design reviews with customers, support hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing to verify trajectories, GNC, and flight code performance, conduct Monte Carlo simulation analyses to define and verify launch and mission operations, develop and support release of flight code for pre-launch ground testing, launch, and mission operations, develop tools and processes for automating common GNC modelling and analysis tasks.

You’ll Bring These Qualifications

• As Gnc Engineer Ii: Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCSUnderstanding of orbital mechanics and/ or closed-loop control systems, preferably launch vehiclesExperience with trajectory optimizationProven experience developing real-time control and/or estimation algorithms in autonomous vehicles, preferably launch vehiclesActive Secret security clearance OR Ability to obtain and maintain one
• As Senior GNC Engineer I: Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCSUnderstanding of orbital mechanics and/ or closed-loop control systems, preferably launch vehiclesExperience with trajectory optimizationProven experience developing real-time control and/or estimation algorithms in autonomous vehicles, preferably launch vehiclesActive Secret security clearance OR Ability to obtain and maintain one

These Qualifications Would Be Nice To Have

• Active TS/SCI clearance
• Experience with requirements assessments and interface control document generation
• Experience with git version control
• 3+ years’ experience in modelling, simulation and/or control of dynamics systems, particularly rigid bodies
• 3+ years’ experience with Python development
• 3+ years’ experience with data analysis using MATLAB and/or SciPy
• Experience developing in C/C++
• Experience with ASTOS or similar mission analysis, trajectory optimization, vehicle design and simulation tools
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships
• Creative, analytical, and good at problem solving
• Able to work on own initiative and to plan daily workflow to meet higher level tasks