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Sierra Nevada Corporation

Global aerospace and defense contractor

Senior Guidance, Navigation and Control Engineer

Flight Dynamics & GNCConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeLone Tree, CO, USA$150.7k - $207.2k

About the Job

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
  • Typically 10 or more years of relevant guidance, navigation and control, flight controls, simulation, or aerospace engineering experience; higher-level degrees may substitute for experience.
  • Deep understanding of engineering fundamentals, vehicle dynamics, stability, and control systems.
  • Advanced experience with Computer-Aided Engineering tools, analysis, and simulation environments.
  • Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink for model development, control law design, and simulation analysis.
  • Experience working within multidisciplinary design and development teams.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S. security clearance.
  • Ability to work at a computer for extended periods.
  • Ability to travel up to 10%.
  • Ability to work in an office or hybrid environment depending on program needs.
  • U.S. citizenship is required because the position requires an active U.S. security clearance for employment.

Responsibilities

  • Provide technical leadership for the design, development, and integration of guidance, navigation and control algorithms and flight control software.
  • Develop Simulink models to support flight controls development, vehicle dynamics, and linear and nonlinear simulation analysis.
  • Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams throughout the lifecycle of air vehicle development.
  • Architect inner- and outer-loop control laws and create advanced control algorithms for crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
  • Oversee end-to-end simulation campaigns, validation testing, and hardware-in-the-loop test activities.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert in design reviews, program milestones, and technical discussions with leadership and customers.
  • Develop and implement guidance, navigation and control best practices, standards, and processes across the engineering organization.
  • Generate reports documenting simulation results, test outcomes, trade studies, and alternatives analyses.
  • Build relationships with clients, suppliers, and industry partners to drive collaboration and technical excellence.
  • Identify opportunities for innovation, optimization, and continuous improvement across algorithms, models, and workflows.

Desired Qualifications

  • A master's degree or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or a related field.
  • Experience with system modeling tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, STK, or FreeFlyer.
  • Background designing flight control laws for unmanned or optionally piloted aircraft systems.
  • Knowledge of MIL-STD-1797B (Flying Qualities of Piloted Aircraft).
  • Experience performing hardware-in-the-loop testing of integrated flight control systems.
  • Prior support of aircraft flight testing or vehicle performance evaluations.
  • Experience with aerospace vehicles, sensor suites, actuation systems, and mission-level guidance, navigation and control.
  • Familiarity with model-based definition, parametric design, and orbital or flight mechanics.
  • Demonstrated success leading baseline definition, integrated trade studies, and maturation of complex systems.
  • Professional background in the Aerospace and Defense industry.

About the Company

Sierra Nevada Corporation

Global aerospace and defense contractor

Sierra Nevada Corporation is a private, global aerospace and national security company serving the U.S. government and other customers with complex engineering projects. Its products include the Dream Chaser spaceplane, a reusable, runway-landing spacecraft developed after SpaceDev’s 2008 acquisition to carry cargo and later crew to low-Earth orbit under NASA contracts. The company differentiates itself through a long-term, acquisition-driven growth strategy, steady execution, and private ownership by the Ozmen family, with the Sierra Space spin-off in 2021 focusing on spaceflight and commercial ventures. Its goal is to solve tough engineering challenges for customers and become a leading partner in defense and space exploration.

Company size
1,001-5,000
Company stage
Not listed
Total funding
Not listed
Headquarters
Sparks, NV
Founded
1963

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