Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL (coming soon).

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role

As a Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer, you will own the full life cycle of GNC development at Varda, from design through to unit, hardware-in-the-loop, on-vehicle functionality, and flight testing. You will perform system analyses, including simulations and Monte Carlo, to satisfy specifications and requirements and to drive system-level architectural and business decisions. You will contribute to a sophisticated multi-degree of freedom in-house aerospace simulation and test framework and develop and maintain design descriptions and supporting documentation. You'll see end to end execution of the GNC subsystem from initial analysis/design through vehicle integration, mission planning and flight through support of on-orbit and reentry mission operations.

Responsibilities

ADCS hardware performance specification including sizing of reaction wheels, torque rods, IMU/GPS, and star trackers

Design and implementation of autonomous satellite attitude control, collision avoidance, orbital rendezvous, burn planning and atmospheric re-entry algorithms

Perform trajectory design, optimization, and dispersion analysis for the reentry of a space capsule

Develop 6 degree of freedom vehicle simulation using C++, Python and MATLAB/Simulink

Running Monte Carlo analysis to characterize performance of new vehicle and mission capabilities

Integration and testing of GNC sensors, actuators, and software in hardware-in-the-loop environment

Design and implementation of ground tooling necessary to facilitate fully automated maneuver responsibility and maneuver scheduling decisions

Monitoring on-orbit system performance; troubleshooting where necessary

Coordination with other spacecraft operators, 3rd party agencies, and the US government

Basic Qualifications

B.S. degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or related field

2+ proven years of experience, or PhD with relevant experience

Demonstrated knowledge in designing, modeling, testing, and flying aerospace guidance, navigation, and control systems

Strong software and model development skills, particularly in C++/Python

Understanding of orbital mechanics, modeling and simulation, and software development

Experience anchoring/fitting first principles models to test data or high-fidelity external simulations

Proven system engineering and configuration management skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Skills and Experience

Master's degree in engineering or physics

Experience with spacecraft attitude determination and control system design

Experience with GMAT, POST2, or similar tools

Understanding of multi-body dynamics, flexible body dynamics, gas dynamics, fluids, and thermodynamics

Experience developing and verifying physical models for the purpose of control design, component sizing, and system performance evaluation

Experience supporting safety critical flight tests or spacecraft

Ability to continuously manage risk and provide solutions with lean and state of the art software development techniques

Pay Range

Salary range: $125,000 - $155,000/per year.

This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA

Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance

You will be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards

Offer compensation also includes the ability to purchase company stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than “U.S. Persons” as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum in the U.S.) Learn more about the ITAR here.

Benefits

Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side

Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)

401(k) matching (interns excluded)

Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)

Health insurance, including Vision and Dental

Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.

Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

E-Verify Statement

Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice

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