GNC Engineer - Interceptor Guidance & Autonomy
This early-career GNC Engineer role at a seed-stage defense startup involves developing and enhancing guidance, navigation, and control software for advanced interceptor systems. The engineer will work closely with a small, experienced team to implement and test algorithms on real hardware, contributing to vehicle autonomy and flight control across diverse operating conditions. The position offers hands-on ownership of critical vehicle systems, rapid iteration from simulation to flight, and opportunities for professional growth in a dynamic startup environment.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, defense technology.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
Opportunity Summary
Confidential Client is a seed-stage defense technology company building a new generation of compact, highly maneuverable interceptor systems. As a GNC Engineer on this small, hands-on team you will own guidance, navigation, and control software that flies — writing and testing algorithms on real hardware within weeks. This is an early-career role suited for recent grads or engineers with up to 3 years of experience who want fast learning, real responsibility, and impact.
About the Confidential Client
Confidential Client is focused on low-cost, rapidly iterated interceptor systems designed for scalable manufacturing and real-world deployment. The team is engineering-driven, small by design, and has completed successful customer demonstrations. The company recently secured additional financing and is expanding the core engineering staff.
What You’ll Do
- Develop, test, and improve GNC software across state estimation, guidance, flight control, and autonomy
- Extend flight-proven algorithms to broader target sets and operating conditions
- Implement and tune state estimators, sensor fusion, and target-tracking algorithms (e.g., Kalman filtering)
- Design and tune guidance laws and flight-control loops for highly dynamic vehicles
- Build and maintain 6-DOF simulation, Monte Carlo, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test environments
- Write flight software in C/C++ for embedded hardware and use Python for simulation, analysis, and test automation
- Define sensor, actuator, and compute requirements with electrical, mechanical, propulsion, and embedded teams
- Support integration, range operations, and flight tests (including field time)
- Analyze flight data and convert results into algorithm and vehicle improvements
- Document designs, test results, and lessons learned to establish GNC standards as the team grows
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or related field
- 0–3 years of professional experience; strong student-project or internship experience welcome
- Hands-on experience applying controls, estimation, or guidance on real hardware (internships, research, or student teams: rocketry, UAS, Formula SAE, robotics, CubeSat, etc.)
- Solid foundation in control theory, dynamics, and linear algebra
- Familiarity with Kalman filtering or other state-estimation/sensor-fusion techniques
- Programming experience in C or C++ and strong Python skills for modeling, simulation, and data analysis
- Experience building or working with simulations of dynamic systems (MATLAB/Simulink, Python, or similar)
- Curiosity, ownership, and ability to thrive in a fast-moving startup environment
- Ability to work on-site in Hawthorne, CA
Preferred Experience
- Internship or project experience in GNC for drones, rockets, missiles, aircraft, spacecraft, or autonomous vehicles
- Embedded or real-time software development exposure
- Hardware-in-the-loop or flight-test experience
- Familiarity with Monte Carlo simulation and statistical performance analysis
- Exposure to target tracking, intercept guidance, or GPS-denied navigation
- Experience with sensors such as IMUs, GPS, radar, or cameras
- Graduate degree with research in controls, estimation, robotics, or autonomy
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $100,000 - $160,000 (annually)
- Early-stage equity
- Performance-based bonuses for exceptional contributions
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Company-provided meals during working days and launch activities
- Paid time off and company holidays
Location & Travel
- On-site in Hawthorne, CA. Occasional field travel for range operations and flight tests is expected.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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