Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) Engineer II
This posting asks for U.S. citizenship.
About the role
**Please Note: ** To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
At CesiumAstro , we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.
We are looking to add a GNC Engineer II to our team. If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing systems for leading-edge spacecraft, and aerospace communication systems, we would like to hear from you.
In this position, you will work on a small team in the design and analysis of GNC systems for CesiumAstro satellites and payloads. You will be responsible for Guidance, Navigation, and Control through all stages of design, integration, test, and operations. As such, you will perform trade studies, participate in design reviews, create models, and complete simulations and system testing. You will build, test, and fly hardware.
As a CesiumAstro spacecraft team member, you will work on a small team to develop satellites and put them in orbit. Being in a startup, you can expect significant portions of your time to be spent contributing to company-critical projects outside your area of expertise.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
- Master of Science (MS), or Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree in Aerospace Engineering from an accredited university or institution
- 2 years of internship, research, or industry experience in satellite attitude and orbit systems
- Expertise in attitude estimation, guidance, and control; coordinate frame transformations; linear algebra; and non-linear systems
- Experience with multiple spaceflight missions from concept to operations
- Experience in low earth orbit satellites
- Experience with post-CDR test failures and on-orbit failures that guide your design and test philosophies
- Experience with successful and unsuccessful recovery from on-orbit failures
- Experience in conceptualization, architecture design, requirements specification, design, test, and operations of various GNC architectures and components
- Familiarity with space mission simulation tools such as STK, Basilisk, GMAT, or FreeFlyer
- Experience defining spacecraft trajectories and orbital requirements
- Fluency with Python and C++, or other modeling languages
- Familiarity with spacecraft mission design including events, pointing modes, maneuver planning, and operations
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- CubeSat and SmallSat experience
- Hands-on experience with spacecraft instrumentation, subsystems, and test labs
- Experience with multiple mission simulation and flight architectures which drives your vision for the next generation of space software
- Experience in LEO, MEO, GEO, and deep space satellites
- Experience with communications satellites
CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.
CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.
Copied from the listing CesiumAstro published, verified 30 Oct 2026.
The application
Your details and CV, then 8 questions.
- 1.As a result of the work performed by CesiumAstro, all eligible candidates must be a U.S. Person or able to obtain an export license. U.S. Persons include U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, conditional residents, asylees, and refugees. AreYes or no
- 2.Do you now or will you in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status? Please select "Yes" if you will require the Company to commence ("sponsor") an immigration or work permit case in order to employ you, either now or at somYes or no
- 3.Do you have a family member that is currently employed with CesiumAstro?Yes or no
- 4.If yes, please specify the individual(s) and the department or location in which they work:Short answer · optional
- 5.Please indicate the highest level of education you have completed.Pick one (7 options)
- 6.Please select which of the following security clearances and/or access you currently hold.Pick any (8 options)
- 7.By submitting your application you hereby certify that the facts set forth in the above employment application are true and complete to the best of your knowledge. I certify that the information on this application is accurate and completePick any: Yes, I have read the Applicant Authorization and Certification and I acknowledge and agree with the terms stated above.
- 8.I have applied for employment with CesiumAstro, Inc. (the “Company”). In consideration of the Company's accepting and evaluating my application for employment, I hereby agree that I will comply with and be legally bound by the following terPick any: I agree with the above obligations related to protection of Proprietary Information.
Taken from the application form CesiumAstro runs, verified 30 Oct 2026.
How to apply to CesiumAstro: the questions its forms ask across its open roles.
About CesiumAstro
Software-defined radios, phased-array payloads and satcom terminals for space and defense.
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