GNC Engineer

Overview

In this role you will own the full lifecycle of Spire’s GNC product and subcomponents within a fast-paced nanosatellite program. You’ll collaborate with hardware, software, and systems teams to ensure spacecraft attitude control meets mission needs. The role emphasizes rapid design-to-launch cycles, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and continuous performance improvements across sensors, actuators, and avionics peripherals. You will help scale a commercial GNC capability that supports a multi-satellite constellation and real-time operations. This is an opportunity to influence how low-cost space systems are designed, tested, and operated.

Pay / Benefits

• Name Your Satellite Program (NYSP)
• Launch Attendance
• Generous Time Off Policy
• Education Assistance Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Responsibilities

• Design, evaluate, select, qualify and implement flight sensors (magnetometers, sun sensors, IMUs, Earth sensors, star trackers) and flight actuators (magnetic torques, reaction wheels, propulsion).
• Develop and maintain 6-DOF GNC simulation models and ensure accurate attitude dynamics representation.
• Provide technical ownership of GNC avionics peripherals, driving reliability and performance improvements.
• Collaborate with hardware, software, and systems engineers to integrate avionics into the platform.
• Create and execute component qualification and acceptance processes; conduct hands-on lab and manufacturing testing.

Key requirements

• Experience with flight sensors for spacecraft attitude determination/estimation.
• Experience with actuators, including sizing, modelling, design and integration.
• Solid foundation in spacecraft attitude dynamics and control algorithms, focusing on sensor ingestion and actuator command calculation.
• Hands-on HW experience and familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop simulation.
• Software development experience using C/Python.
• Experience in Linux development environment.
• Experience working with external engineering contractors.

• cross-functional collaboration
• problem solving in a fast-paced environment
• hands-on troubleshooting
• flight software development
• Kalman filters and attitude estimation
• C or C++ for embedded systems

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