Principal GNC Engineer (Space Systems)

Location: Onsite in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Company

hirify.global develops mission-critical space, defense, and national security technologies, including systems for lunar exploration.

What you will do

• Modernize GNC analysis, modeling, and algorithms to industry best practices and mission-critical standards.
• Develop advanced methods for state estimation, sensor fusion, trajectory generation, optical navigation, and terrain-based navigation.
• Build and expand high-fidelity simulation environments for verification, Monte Carlo testing, mission analysis, and performance evaluation.
• Develop and validate GNC strategies for descent, landing, attitude control, and autonomous operations.
• Lead sensor, estimation, trajectory, and control architecture trade studies and provide analysis-backed recommendations.
• Provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, identify mission risks, and collaborate across systems engineering, avionics, software, mission analysis, and mechanical teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, robotics, applied mathematics, or a related field, plus 15+ years of relevant experience; advanced degrees may substitute for experience.
• Extensive experience developing, analyzing, and validating GNC algorithms for spacecraft, planetary landers, launch vehicles, or autonomous systems.
• Deep knowledge of nonlinear dynamics, state estimation, sensor fusion, EKF/UKF filtering, guidance algorithms, and control theory.
• Strong understanding of lunar and cislunar environments, mission-level and system-level GNC requirements, and GNC verification and validation.
• Experience producing technical content for proposals, customer presentations, and major reviews.
• Applicants must be U.S. Persons and eligible to obtain any required export authorizations; eligibility to obtain and hold a U.S. security clearance is preferred.

Nice to have

• Experience with precision landing, terrain-relative navigation, lidar sensing, optical navigation, or autonomous hazard evaluation.
• Experience transitioning advanced algorithms into embedded or flight software.
• Knowledge of rover autonomy, surface mobility GNC, or planetary navigation.
• Experience with MATLAB, Python, Simulink, Basilisk, Confluence, or Jira.
• Familiarity with NASA and industry GNC standards.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-driven environment focused on space, defense, and national security technology.
• Flexible Time Off and programs supporting physical and mental well-being.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and families.
• 401(k) plan with a 50% company match on contributions up to 8%.
• Wellness programs, gym membership options, and additional employee support resources.