Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer

About Varda Space Industries Varda is building the infrastructure for a thriving orbital economy, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. From new, life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optic cables, there is a world of products used to benefit life on Earth that can only be manufactured in space. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Varda Space Industries

Expanding the economic bounds of humankind.

V

varda.com

51-200 employees

Defense and Space Manufacturing

El Segundo, CA

2021

Privately Held

57k LinkedIn followers

Raised $330M

• 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++ and Python.
• 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

Required

• B.S. degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or
• related field
• 10+ proven years of experience, or PhD with 7+ years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated knowledge in designing, modeling, testing, and flying aerospace
• guidance, navigation, and control systems
• Highly adept software and model development skills, particularly in
• 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

• 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

• 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 incentives in the form of stock options and/or
• long-term cash awards
• 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. Because our
• employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our 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).
• Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland