Spacecraft GNC Engineer

About the role

Apex Technology is building satellite buses at scale to support the growing demand for commercial space infrastructure. We are looking for an early-career GNC Engineer to design and implement hardware and software systems for spacecraft attitude and orbit control. You will work on a clean sheet design, reporting to the Director of Spacecraft, to define vehicle architecture and performance standards.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Create and deploy GNC algorithms for attitude, orbit, and precision pointing control.
• Run dynamic simulations to verify system stability and accuracy.
• Design and test control hardware including thrusters, reaction wheels, and magnetic torquers.
• Partner with payload and systems teams to align GNC requirements with overall vehicle needs.
• Execute trade studies to optimize for mass, power, and cost.
• Build test procedures for system-level performance and anomaly resolution.
• Review telemetry data to diagnose performance issues.
• Work with software engineers to integrate GNC modules into the satellite bus.
• Establish validation criteria for subsystem testing.

Requirements

• U.S. Person status (required for export-controlled data access).
• Bachelor or Master degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 1 year of professional GNC engineering experience in aerospace or satellite sectors.
• Proficiency in C/C++, MATLAB, and Python for numerical analysis.
• Understanding of orbital mechanics, spacecraft dynamics, and control theory.
• Experience with simulation tools like STK and MATLAB/Simulink.
• Familiarity with sensors such as star trackers, gyroscopes, and accelerometers.
• Knowledge of industry protocols including GPS/GNSS, CCSDS, and ECSS.

Practical notes

• Benefits include 100 percent company-paid medical, dental, and vision for employees and dependents, plus $100k life insurance.
• Retirement plan includes a 401(k) with a 100 percent match on the first 3 percent and 50 percent on the next 2 percent.
• Time off includes 15 days of vacation (increasing to 20+), 10 holidays, and 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Additional perks include daily catered lunch, childcare reimbursement up to $350 per day for work travel, and office social events.