GNC Engineer, Fleet Management

SpaceX

Confirmed live yesterday Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Salary: $125,000–$150,000 / yr
Posted: 108 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $180k

This role $138k

$114k most similar roles pay here $229k

This role pays less than 78% of similar roles. Most pay $142,500–$217,500 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $138k versus about $180k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

SpaceX currently has 680 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$165,000 across 442 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at SpaceX

At a glance

TL;DR · GNC Engineer, Fleet Management

Role Posting Log in to save

GNC Engineer, Fleet Management (Starshield) joins the GNC, Fleet Management team to manage the complete lifecycle of the Starshield constellation. This role involves designing the constellation through analysis and simulation while developing satellite and ground software to implement control systems for orbit raise, station keeping, and collision avoidance algorithms. The engineer will develop high-performance GNC algorithms, flight software, tools, and dashboards using C++ or Python. Key responsibilities include performing network-level analysis of existing and proposed systems, conducting bulk performance data analysis, and providing on-call support to ensure continuous operation of vehicles and payloads. The work focuses on the technical challenges of orbital mechanics and constellation geometry for government use cases involving earth observation and communications. Required skills include proficiency in C++ or Python, a strong understanding of orbit determination, and experience with simulation verification.

Skills

C++ Python GNC Orbital Mechanics Flight Software Simulation State Estimation GNSS Radio Navigation Trajectory Optimization Station Keeping Collision Avoidance Avionics Propulsion

What you'll do

Develop high-performance GNC algorithms, flight software, and simulation tools using C++ or Python.
Perform constellation design and network-level analysis for existing and proposed satellite systems.
Conduct bulk analysis of performance data from the Starshield constellation and hosted payloads.
Implement control systems for orbit raising, station keeping, and collision avoidance.
Participate in architecture, design, and code reviews to ensure system reliability.
Write technical documentation for programs, algorithms, and analytical processes.
Perform on-call operations including commanding satellites and monitoring data to maintain peak performance.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in computer science, aerospace, physics, or an engineering discipline.
Software development experience in either C++ or Python.
Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance, or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or other specific legal status required for ITAR compliance.
Strong understanding of orbital mechanics, including low thrust trajectory optimization and station-keeping.
Experience developing, debugging, and deploying software for real-world applications.
Familiarity with numerical probability of collision methods such as Alfano, Foster, and Hall.
Experience in verifying GNC algorithm performance via simulation and validating simulation models.

Save