Senior Guidance Systems Engineer

Description

The company is moving quickly to build and deliver advanced defense systems, and it is putting together a strong team to turn ambitious concepts into working capability.

This is an early-stage role with significant ownership. You will work with capable colleagues and can have a clear, measurable effect on the company's direction, whatever your function.

The company needs a Senior Guidance Engineer to build guidance solutions for its long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. You will shape how these systems fly, from concept through flight tests to operational use. The work is hands-on, alongside multidisciplinary engineers, designing, analyzing, characterizing and validating guidance algorithms in a fast hardware-driven setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and tuning of guidance methods for hypersonic vehicles, aiming for strong performance, stability and maneuverability in both atmosphere and space
• Run trajectory and flight simulations to test guidance behavior, find areas to improve and confirm design choices
• Study and strengthen the inertial and active guidance of the long-range hypersonic systems so they hold up under changing environmental conditions
• Coordinate with avionics, seeker, flight software and GNC teams so the vehicle integrates smoothly
• Help shape and carry out test plans for subscale and full-scale flights, turning the data into system-level design changes
• Coach junior engineers on good practice
• Work with program leadership on technical trade-offs that support mission success

Requirements

• A bachelor's, master's or PhD in aerospace engineering or a related field
• 3+ years designing, analyzing and validating guidance systems for high-speed vehicles such as missiles, rockets, hypersonic glide vehicles or maneuvering re-entry systems
• A track record of fielding guidance systems for DoD or comparable programs
• Strong background in 3DOF and 6DOF trajectory and flight simulation, plus real-time trajectory generation and optimization methods
• Experience with onboard trajectory generation
• Working knowledge of how AI and deep learning apply to trajectory optimization
• Proficiency with flight and trajectory analysis tools such as TAOS, POST or equivalent
• A problem-solver who does well in a fast-moving environment with a lot of hardware and a high flight cadence

Conditions

Duties may change over time, with or without notice, and the list here is not exhaustive

This role may require access to classified information or restricted U.S. Government sites, systems or information, as set by the company and/or U.S. Government rules. If it is designated that way, your employment may depend on obtaining and keeping the required U.S. Government security clearance or other authorization, and meeting any citizenship or eligibility requirements under applicable law, regulation, executive order or contract. You will be told if and when these apply.

This role requires access to export-controlled information. Employment, or engaging a contractor, depends on your ability to access that information without additional export licensing from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Benefits

• The company offers a generous benefits package. Details are at the bottom of its Careers page.