---
title: 'Senior Navigation Engineer at Red Canyon Engineering & Software'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-navigation-engineer-red-canyon-engineering-software-westminster-tzyv4s979es1'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Senior Navigation Engineer at Red Canyon Engineering & Software

- **Company:** Red Canyon Engineering & Software
- **Location:** Westminster, CO
- **Compensation:** $132k–$175k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-06-22
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/redcanyonsoftware/17aa0a7b-fc53-4b71-a177-651da36794d8

## Job description

We are seeking a Senior Navigation Engineer to join a team that is leading humanity back to the Moon and pioneering innovative solutions in the space industry. Based in Westminster, Colorado, this incredible team is looking for a Sr Spacecraft Navigation Engineer who's eager to push the state of the art in the aerospace industry. This position is responsible for leading development efforts, supporting a technically diverse team, and conducting detailed analyses of navigation technology and missions. The ideal candidate will be an experienced professional who can drive innovation, mentor junior engineers, and support spaceflight operations. This role will be based in Westminster, Colorado, and the ideal candidate will have a passion for the exploration, development, and settlement of space. This position is open to U.S. Persons only (U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent residents), as required by applicable laws and regulations. THE FOLLOWING ACTIVE SECURITY CLEARANCE is desired but not required - TS/SCI IS PREFERRED We do not provide visa sponsorship or support work authorization for this role. Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Responsibilities:

- Lead spacecraft navigation for all mission phases, including formulation, tracking architecture development, estimation approach, and operations.
- Develop and validate advanced Kalman filter configurations for complex regimes (multi-body, low-thrust, weak observability).
- Serve as primary navigation lead for flight operations operations prep, including console support, real-time OD, and anomaly response.
- Architect navigation solutions that account for mission design, GNC, communications, and ground system constraints.
- Own navigation products for major reviews, clearly communicating performance, trades, and risks.
- Mentor junior navigation engineers in OD, filter design, measurement modeling, and operations best practices.
- Drive improvements to navigation procedures, tool setups, and standard operating practices.
- Support BD and IRAD by shaping navigation concepts, contributing to proposals, and defining new mission and capability concepts.

Requirements:

- 8–12 years of professional experience in spacecraft navigation, orbit determination, or closely related flight dynamics roles.
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
- Demonstrated leadership of OD campaigns or major navigation tasks, including filter setup, force models, and tracking strategies.
- Proven ability to design and adapt Kalman filters for new dynamical and tracking regimes, including dynamic, bias, stochastic, and consider parameters.
- Significant experience with navigation/astrodynamics tools (e.g., MONTE, FreeFlyer, ODTK, GMAT, STK) in flight or flight-like applications.
- Strong navigation operations experience, including nav operator training/certification or equivalent console and contingency support.
- Ability to act as primary navigation point of contact, interacting with vendors and partners, driving requirements, owning verification/validation, and conducting system-level trades.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with a record of leading technical presentations and navigation analysis reports.
- US. Person (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident), able to work on-site in Westminster, CO.

Desired:

- Master’s or PhD with emphasis on Kalman filters, state estimation, or astrodynamics
- Experience leading navigation support for maneuver planning and execution, including tracking schedule design and mission design trades.
- Expertise across multiple measurement types (radiometric, GPS, optical, angles-only) and in designing measurement configurations.
- Experience integrating navigation into system requirements, CONOPS, and ICDs, and leading navigation verification and reporting.
- Demonstrated use of the MONTE astrodynamics toolkit
- Leadership of navigation-related IRAD or proposal sections, shaping IRAD concepts and navigation win themes.
- Familiarity with cislunar and deep-space navigation challenges, including three-body regimes, timing/clock issues, and tracking network limitations.
- Familiarity with multi-spacecraft mission concepts
- Active TS/SCI or prior clearance preferred.

## About Red Canyon Engineering & Software

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Red Canyon Engineering & Software is a Denver-based aerospace and defense engineering firm that develops flight software, systems engineering, and mission-critical technology for space exploration and national security programs.
- **Entity Type**: Private — funding stage not disclosed; SBA-certified HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
- **Headquarters**: 1200 Pennsylvania St, Suite 100, Denver, CO 80203, United States
- **Founded**: 2000
- **Founders**: Barry Hamilton — CEO & Founder

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Defense & Space; Aerospace Engineering; Software Engineering
- **Target customers**: B2G/B2B — U.S. government agencies (NASA, NOAA, NREL, JPL, DOD), aerospace primes, and commercial space customers
- **Mission/purpose**: "To create innovative engineering solutions to answer science’s most challenging questions about our ecosystem and the cosmos."

## Products & Services
- **Flight Software / cFS**: Core Flight Software (cFS) and embedded flight software development for spacecraft simulation, modeling, closed-loop testing, and mission operations.
- **Systems Engineering & Integration (I&T)**: Satellite systems engineering, assembly, integration, and test support, including remote satellite I&T roles.
- **Simulation & Modeling**: Navigation simulation, modeling tools, and test environments for aerospace and defense missions.
- **Mechanical Design & Analysis**: Structural analysis and mechanical design services for space and defense hardware.
- **Engineering & Technical Services**: Broad engineering services for government and commercial customers, including R&D, systems engineering, and AI-enabled defense solutions.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue estimated at **$20.9M**; total funding not publicly available
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: NASA, NOAA, NREL, JPL, DOD, Lockheed Martin Space, Raytheon, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Ball Aerospace, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Honeywell, Maxar, Moog, Walt Disney Imagineering, SAIC, and others
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew **+4.7% YoY** to approximately **35 employees**
  - Active job postings increased **+350% quarter-over-quarter** at the time of research
  - Selected as an awardee on the Missile Defense Agency’s **SHIELD IDIQ contract** — a 10-year, multiple-award vehicle with a potential **$151B ceiling** for multi-domain defense capabilities
  - Maintains a diverse portfolio spanning aerospace, defense, robotics, and engineering research

## Competitive Advantages
- **Small-business agility with mission credibility**: Deep relationships with NASA, DOD, and major primes despite a lean team.
- **Certified SDVOSB and HUBZone**: Eligible for set-aside contracts and viewed as a strategic partner for government customers.
- **Specialized flight-software expertise**: Strong reputation in Core Flight Software (cFS), simulation, and embedded systems.
- **Founder-led and employee-focused culture**: Low politics, CEO open-door policy, and stable project portfolio reduce churn risk.
- **Flexible work model**: Work-location-agnostic posture where customer requirements allow, with a mix of remote, hybrid, and on-site roles.

## Strategic Focus
- Scale capabilities through the **MDA SHIELD IDIQ** and pursue task orders in R&D, systems engineering, modeling & simulation, AI-enabled solutions, and mission-critical defense services.
- Continue serving NASA’s space exploration and science missions, including Mars, comet, and human spacecraft programs.
- Recruit and retain top-tier engineers who can integrate seamlessly with customer teams.
- Maintain a values-driven culture focused on education, conservation, long-term awareness, and public outreach for space exploration.

## Why Work Here
- **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.

## Sources
1. [redcanyonsoftware.com](https://redcanyonsoftware.com/about-us/)
2. [redcanyonsoftware.com](https://redcanyonsoftware.com/why-work-for-us/)
3. [craft.co](https://craft.co/red-canyon-engineering-software)
4. [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/red-canyon-engineering)
5. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/redcanyonsoftware)

## Other roles at Red Canyon Engineering & Software

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- [Flight Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-software-engineer-red-canyon-engineering-software-united-states-9g7cvwz7t8sa) — United States
- [Senior GNC Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-gnc-engineer-red-canyon-engineering-software-united-states-pppz7b87w58n) — United States
- [Senior Systems Engineer IV](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-engineer-iv-red-canyon-engineering-software-united-states-da04cb685gn2) — United States
- [Navigation Engineer III](https://feeny.ai/job/navigation-engineer-iii-red-canyon-engineering-software-westminster-36b76z7bd25q) — Westminster, CO
- [Flight Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-software-engineer-red-canyon-engineering-software-united-states-h8yh2q9e5ffa) — United States
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