Guidance Navigation Control Engineer
Architecture & Engineering (Physical)Posted 26 Aug 2026
Advertised as “Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineers - Level 3 or 4 - TS Cleared (AHT)”
Posted 26 Aug 2026
Advertised as “Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineers - Level 3 or 4 - TS Cleared (AHT)”
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
| Base salary | US$98,500 – US$213,500 / yr |
|---|
No unique specialisation
Field of studyEngineering, Mathematics, Physics (or related)
Study levelBachelor's or higher
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.
Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineer supporting our Space team, this role can be based at either our Dulles, VA or Gilbert, AZ locations. On our team, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one.
This role is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work**.**
This position description does not represent a current opening but may be used to identify candidates with skills and experience for positions within Northrop Grumman that frequently become available. Candidates who express an interest may be considered for future positions at Northrop Grumman.
The GNC team designs, builds, and tests spacecraft subsystems for a mix of DoD, NASA, and commercial customers. We are leaders in innovative solutions to the rapidly growing/evolving fields of space based autonomous rendezvous and docking and rapid design/production of small satellites.
Job Responsibilities
In this role you will:
Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude and position control loops using time and frequency domain techniques
Design and analyze relative guidance solutions for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO)
Design, analyze, and tune sequential filters (e.g. Kalman filters) for attitude determination and relative navigation
Analyze and test the spacecraft GNC subsystem performance using simulations and other analytic tools
Perform analysis to support early design phase concept development including actuator sizing and placement, sensor selection and placement, attitude and position guidance, rendezvous, proximity operations and docking analyses, and predicted performance assessments
Develop simulation models for sensors (e.g. star tracker, rate gyro, accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer, sun sensors), actuators (e.g. reaction wheel, torque bar, thruster, CMG), system dynamics (e.g. rigid body, multi-body, orbit mechanics, flexible models, propellant slosh), and the space environment (e.g. atmospheric, solar radiation pressure, third-body gravity, geopotential)
Communication is a key element of your role and all GNC engineers are expected to:
Apply engineering principles, industry standards, company process, and knowledge of vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, classical/modern control, and estimation theory to perform tasks to advanced program/project goals
Document designs, analysis, and test results and create presentation materials
Present designs, analysis, and test results to internal and external customers
Work well within small- to medium-sized groups
This role is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work**.**
This position description does not represent a current opening but may be used to identify candidates with skills and experience for positions within Northrop Grumman that frequently become available. Candidates who express an interest may be considered for future positions at Northrop Grumman.
Basic Qualifications:
Requires an active/current U.S. Government DoD Top-Secret (TS) security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with an ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval AND Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) approval/access within a reasonable period of time
Level 3: (Principal level)
Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of relevant engineering experience
Master’s degree with 3 years of relevant engineering experience
PhD with 1 year of relevant engineering experience
Level 4: (Sr Principal level)
Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant engineering experience
Master’s degree with 6 years of relevant engineering experience
PhD with 4 years of relevant engineering experience
Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++
Experience in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem design, analysis, and testing; can include Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS)
Preferred Qualifications:
Current/Active TS with SCI
MS or PhD in engineering, physics, or math
Experience with version control tools such as SVN or Git
Experience implementing spacecraft GNC algorithms on embedded systems
Strong technical fundamentals in the areas of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, navigation filtering and/or control systems design
Experience with on-orbit space vehicle operations, commanding, debugging, and use of flight telemetry to track performance metrics
Experience with Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) algorithms, practices and planning strategies
Experience with performing spacecraft GNC design, analysis, Hardware (HW) and Integration & Test (I&T), or flight operations.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
Previous/current membership or leadership roles in professional groups, clubs, or extracurricular activities are desired
This position description does not represent a current opening but may be used to identify candidates with skills and experience for positions within Northrop Grumman that frequently become available. Candidates who express an interest may be considered for future positions at Northrop Grumman.
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $171,000.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $213,400.00
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.