{"id":662718,"url":"https://alion.io/job/xonaspace-gnc-orbit-controls-engineer","title":"GNC Orbit Controls Engineer","company":{"id":685097,"name":"Xona Space Systems","domain":"xonaspace.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/xonaspace","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":88,"open_postings":15,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.267,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":84,"computed_at":"2026-11-05T05:54:30Z"}},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Burlingame, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":130000,"max":175000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":175000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"CCSDS","optional":false},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-05-29T22:21:09Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-05-29","last_verified_at":"2026-11-05T06:53:45Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":159,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":[],"days_open":159},"description":"Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth.\nWith Pulsar - the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit - Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection.\nWe're looking for a GNC Orbit Controls Engineer to design and implement the algorithms and onboard software that handle orbit determination, guidance, maneuver execution, and post-maneuver analysis to deliver safe, efficient, and highly automated station-keeping and disposal. We’re building the software that keeps our spacecraft exactly where they need to be.\nWhat You’ll Do\nDevelop open-loop and closed-loop controllers for altitude management, station-keeping, and end-of-life disposal\n\nImplement and maintain onboard orbit propagators, select and validate integrators, and ensure numerical consistency with ground truth\n\nBuild orbit determination pipelines using EKF with GNSS\n\nDesign burns and long-arc trajectories, and optimize delta V and timelines under comm visibility, power and thermal, and operations constraints\n\nCoordinate burn pointing and wheel momentum strategy with ADCS\n\nMaintain numerically consistent MATLAB and C++ simulators, create Monte Carlo campaigns, run SIL and HIL tests, and perform post-maneuver reconstruction\n\nRequired Qualifications\nYou are familiar with orbital mechanics and simulation and have had exposure with onboard propagators with perturbation models and integrators on flight targets\n\nYou have GNC software experience in C++ and MATLAB for analysis, modeling, and test-vector generation\n\nYou have supported real maneuvers and can reconcile plan versus truth with post-burn estimation\n\nYou are comfortable at the ADCS and propulsion interface for burn pointing and momentum management\n\nDesired Qualifications\nB.S. or M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Control Systems, Applied Physics, or a related field\n\nFamiliar with electric propulsion including thrust modeling and calibration, long-burn guidance, duty-cycle planning, and thermal constraints\n\nExperience with orbit propagation algorithms\n\nTrajectory design and optimization expertise\n\nFamiliarity with CCSDS ephemeris and attitude formats\n\nFor U.S. Roles: To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).\nFor U.K. Roles: To comply with U.K. regulations, this role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks, and successful candidates must be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance (SC).\nFor Canada Roles: Successful candidates must obtain and hold a security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR.\nWe celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. 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