
Senior GNC Engineer at Red Canyon Engineering & Software (United States)
Red Canyon Engineering & Software· United States· $60–$100/hr·
Role details
Job description
Do you want to help a small company make a BIG difference in space? Do you take ownership of your job and responsibility for your actions? Then come work for Red Canyon and help us continue our mission of helping humankind reach the stars!
Guidance, Navigation, Control - 50%
- Design and implement GNC designs for new spacecraft designs to accommodate a variety of new mission payloads onto Airbus spacecraft platforms.
- Analyze, design, and/or develop GNC systems to include:
- Sensors and actuators
- Algorithms and flight software
- GNC electronics
- Support the development of subsystem level requirements and requirement flow-down to the various components and parts as necessary - in all phases of the development lifecycle with particular emphasis on Design for Cost/Design for Manufacturability/Design for Test approaches.
- Ensure the maximum reuse of the existing Airbus heritage products and if necessary, identify need for modification.
- Ability to drive multiple design activities (programs or mission) – could lead to spacecraft, payload, satellite bus, and/or launch integration activities.
- Demonstrated ability to participate in cross-functional planning, coordination, and task execution situations involving the full spectrum of engineering and integration activities
Simulation Development - 40%
- Support Airbus spacecraft development product roadmap: includes design adjustments, schedule, and cost targets aligned for future business captures.
- Support the definition of spacecraft customization process for customer mission needs
Additional Responsibilities - 10%
- Perform all the necessary GNC system engineering activities to build, to maintain and to evolve the Airbus spacecraft products.
- Promote and optimize cost savings by reuse of the heritage platform designs and manufacturing infrastructures in the pursuit of various constellation prospects.
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas.
- Preferred: Masters in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas
Experience:
- 8+ years' (w/ bachelor's degree) / 6+ years' (w/ Master's degree) experience in guidance, navigation and control system analysis, design and verification on spacecraft.
- 5+ years' experience in guidance, navigation and control system analysis, design and verification on spacecraft.
Skills:
- Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink and STK.
- Proficiency modeling, simulating, and analyzing the performance of spacecraft GNC sensors, actuators, dynamics and algorithms.
- Familiarity and experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (SysML/UML) and processes that include requirements, architectures, interfaces and trade studies.
- Familiarity with software development, verification, and validation.
- Experience with object-oriented programming (C, C++) and scripting languages (TCL, Python).
- US Citizenship is required
Red Canyon Engineering and Software: “Exploring Other Planets, Improving our Own”
Red Canyon contracts with NASA, NOAA, NREL, JPL, and DOD, in addition to customers such as Lockheed Martin Space, Raytheon, Sierra Space, a.i. solutions, Walt Disney Imagineering, SAIC, Sidus Space, Ball Aerospace, SpaceX, Honeywell, KBRwyle, Peraton, LASP, Maxar, Blue Origin, and Moog. We specialize in building spacecraft, developing renewable energy technologies to help make our planet a better world and cutting edge research and development. Our disciplines include embedded flight software, software testing, GN&C, systems engineering, mechanical design, structural analysis, real time flight and ground software, simulation software, user interface software, and mission management software. We help our contractors with the full life cycle of product development from requirements to test and delivery.
Some of the programs we have previously or currently worked on include: Human Lander System, Artemis I-II, WorldView Legion V, Perseverance Rover, InSight, GeoXO, Tranche-1, LizzieSat, Dream Chaser, Psyche, Mars 98, Odyssey 01, Stardust, Genesis and Deep Impact, Mars Phoenix, Joint Polar Satellite System, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Orion, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, GOES-R, OSIRIS-REx, Maven, JUNO, Grail, and the MarsFlight and LunarSIM Simulation.
Red Canyon’s home office is located in scenic Denver, Colorado, and our regional office, Launch Now, is in historic downtown Titusville, Florida. We are a small company that maintains a flat organization to decrease our overhead and costs to our customers. Our number one focus is to solve some of the most complicated engineering problems humankind is facing.
Does it sound like you want to join our mission?
Why work at Red Canyon Engineering & Software
- Culture: Described as a "kick-ass culture" that emphasizes passion, minimal politics, and enjoyment of the work; employees frequently highlight project variety and a strong reputation across aerospace and robotics.
- Work model: Flexible/modified schedules and work-location-agnostic roles when customer approval allows; many current openings are remote or hybrid, but some are on-site customer-dependent.
- Compensation & benefits:
- Competitive salaries, including reported estimates such as Flight Software Engineer ~$128.7K, Recruiter ~$78.8K, and Accounting Supervisor ~$95.4K annually
- Health, dental, vision, telehealth, and HSA with employer match
- 401(k) with 6% employer contribution with no employee match required
- Year-end profit sharing
- HUBZone monetary incentives
- Employee referral and new-business referral bonuses
- Paid opportunities for research, conferences, and public outreach
- Reviews: Employer rating 4.0/5.0 from 16 reviews, with Work-Life 4.3, Culture 4.1, Career 4.0, and Compensation 3.9.
- Leadership access: CEO open-door policy via call, text, or video chat.
- Team events: Launches, concerts, happy hours, and community engagement activities.