{"id":747509,"url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer","title":"Principal Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Engineer","company":{"id":685289,"name":"Space Kinetic","domain":"spacekinetic.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/spacekinetic","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":95,"open_postings":35,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":145,"computed_at":"2026-11-01T06:10:25Z"}},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["El Segundo, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":195000,"max":250000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":250000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"NASA cFS","optional":false},{"name":"Verification & Validation","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2025-11-20T19:26:38Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-12","last_verified_at":"2026-11-01T22:27:37Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":346,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":345},"description":"A New Paradigm For Space Operations.\nWho We Are: \nSpace Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations - one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different - an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures - where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.\nThis is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.\nWhat You’ll Do:\nThe Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer will lead the development of an entirely new GNC architecture for Space Kinetic’s first-of-its-kind spacecraft platform. You will own the GNC subsystem across its full lifecycle, from early concept development and algorithm design through simulation, hardware integration, verification, and mission operations. You will lead a cross-functional GNC team and collaborate with flight software, systems engineering, test, leadership, and external partners to deliver an integrated hardware and software solution.\nJob Responsibilities:\nLead the GNC team and own the subsystem architecture, development schedule, requirements, interfaces, and technical milestones.\nDesign and implement GNC algorithms for flight software and support their integration into the spacecraft platform.\nLead GNC hardware trade studies, component selection, and the integration of internally and externally developed hardware and software.\nConduct design analyses, Monte Carlo simulations, and hardware-in-the-loop testing to evaluate and validate system performance.\nOwn subsystem verification and validation activities across simulation, testbed, and flight environments.\nDevelop or contribute to ground tools used for mission and constellation management.\nPartner with subcontractors, internal teams, and senior leadership while supporting internal and external design reviews.\nWhat It Takes:\nBachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.\n7+ years of experience developing spacecraft GNC systems.\nExperience supporting spacecraft or satellite development and operations across the full project lifecycle.\nExperience developing GNC algorithms, conducting simulations, and performing hardware-in-the-loop testing.\nAbility to work cross-functionally across spacecraft subsystems and interface directly with commercial or government aerospace customers.\nAbility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.\nWhat We’d Love:\nMaster’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field.\nExperience with flight software frameworks such as NASA cFS, F´, or custom architectures.\nFamiliarity with model-based systems engineering and interface control documentation.\nWhere You’ll Be: \nThe position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year). \n\nWhat We Offer: \nEquity-Based Compensation\n\n401(k) retirement plan with a 3.5% company match\n\nHighly Competitive PTO\n\nPaid company holidays + winter break\n\nComprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance\n\nUnique Performance-based bonus opportunities\n\nITAR Requirements: \nTo conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here \nEqual Employment Opportunity: \nSpace Kinetic 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, disabilityor any other legally protected status. \nThe annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. \nPay Range\n$195,000—$250,000 USD","description_format":"text","description_chars":5106,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Retirement plans","Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space & Aerospace","Missiles","Space Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-11T14:41:29Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":13,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.463,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":345,"expected_fill_days":145,"reasons":["conf:3","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-11-01T06:10:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":250000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T01:31:04Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":2360,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":685289},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=685289"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/spacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-principal-guidance-navigation-and-control-gnc-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":747509}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"spacekinetic.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":747509},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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