What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior GNC Engineer (Spacecraft) position at Inversion?
Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth
Who We Are
Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse-drawn chariots, ocean-going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world. We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.
What You’ll Do
Inversion’s reentry vehicles are the first satellite platform capable of returning to Earth. As a Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer, you will focus on architecting and developing Arc’s in-space attitude determination and control capabilities. You will work alongside our avionics, mission design, software, and vehicle engineering teams to determine spacecraft pointing and orbit requirements as well as develop the GNC system. In this role, you will:
ITAR Compliance
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.
Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.
Who We Are
Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse-drawn chariots, ocean-going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world. We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.
What You’ll Do
Inversion’s reentry vehicles are the first satellite platform capable of returning to Earth. As a Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer, you will focus on architecting and developing Arc’s in-space attitude determination and control capabilities. You will work alongside our avionics, mission design, software, and vehicle engineering teams to determine spacecraft pointing and orbit requirements as well as develop the GNC system. In this role, you will:
- Work with other disciplines to determine Arc’s on-orbit power, communications, thermal, and station-keeping requirements and feasibility.
- Architect the vehicle’s sensor and actuator selection and placement in addition to the vehicle’s core pointing modes.
- Design and implement guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms for satellite deployment and operations.
- Perform orbital mechanics analyses to trade constellations and trajectories.
- Collaborate closely with avionics teams for component integration and calibration.
- Explore mission design concepts for orbital deltaV maneuvers.
- Lead technical discussions and contribute to the overall mission architecture for satellite deployment and operation.
- Operate with significant autonomy.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or a relevant field, or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
- Typically, a minimum of 9 years of experience at a Senior level. 15 for a Principal-level role. We are open to considering multiple levels for the role.
- Experience doing systems engineering for attitude, determination, and control systems (including requirements definition, system trades, etc.)
- Experience with a LEO spacecraft program from conception to operation.
- Strong fundamental understanding of spacecraft dynamics and orbital mechanics
- Experience with component calibration and alignment as well as vehicle-level integration and test practices.
- Experience with spacecraft estimation and control algorithms.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as MATLAB, Python, or C for simulation and analysis.
- Ability to think creatively to optimize systems and solve complex problems.
- Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence full time
- Master’s degree or PhD in GNC or relevant field.
- Familiarity with on-orbit operations.
- Familiarity with fault management practices.
- Experience with CI/CD practices.
- Experience architecting a GNC system from a systems level.
- Experience with mission analysis and design.
ITAR Compliance
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.
Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.
Salary : $140,000 - $183,000
