GNC Engineer, Starlink Controls

SpaceX

Confirmed live yesterday Trusted

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
Redmond, WA
Salary
$125,000–$165,000 / yr
Posted
61 days ago
Freshness
Confirmed live yesterday

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $169k
This role $145k
$116k $210k
below market most similar roles pay here above market

This role pays more than 52% of similar roles. Most pay $137,500–$200,625 — the blue band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $145k versus about $169k 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 851 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$165,000 across 590 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · GNC Engineer, Starlink Controls

GNC Engineer, Starlink Controls (Starlink) joins the Starlink Guidance, Navigation, and Control team to ensure robust and precise pointing for satellites, payloads, propulsion systems, and mechanisms. The role involves vehicle design trades, simulation, flight code implementation, and deploying features in space. Key responsibilities include designing and implementing electromechanical control systems like solar array actuators, antenna gimbals, and high bandwidth active optics, alongside satellite attitude control and momentum management. You will also develop fluid and power system controls for hall thrusters and perform optimal state estimation. Required skills include C++ software development, closed loop control systems analysis, and experience with dynamics. The position utilizes C++, Python, and Matlab to build high fidelity simulations and production software to solve complex orbital mechanics and rigid body dynamics problems.

What you'll do

  • Design and implement electromechanical control systems for solar arrays, antenna gimbals, and active optics.
  • Develop and analyze satellite attitude control and momentum management systems.
  • Design and implement fluid and power system controls for Starlink hall thrusters.
  • Develop high-fidelity simulations using C++, Python, and Matlab for collaborative analysis.
  • Implement, validate, and deploy production C++ software for spacecraft control systems.
  • Perform hardware performance sizing, firmware bringup, and automated production screening.
  • Provide engineering and data review support for hardware development and network performance monitoring.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor's degree in aerospace, physics, or an engineering discipline.
  • Software development experience in C++.
  • Experience with design and analysis of closed loop control systems.
  • Master's degree or PhD in physics or an engineering discipline (preferred).
  • Expertise in linear closed loop controls analysis and design, including state space and frequency domain methods (preferred).
  • Experience with flexible body dynamics and reduced finite element models in closed loop control systems (preferred).
  • Expertise in state estimation, kalman filters, and information filters (preferred).
  • U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee (or eligible for Department of State authorization).

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