Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Lead

About Us

Space Machines Company (SMC) is transforming the future of space operations with a bold mission: to deliver Roadside Assistance in Space.

As orbit becomes more congested and contested, we act as the \”first responders\” protecting the satellites that power life on Earth—from communications to navigation. Partnering with both commercial operators and government agencies, we\’re strengthening space resilience and enabling the growth of a sustainable space economy.

We\’re building this critical capability through hyperscale spacecraft manufacturing—delivering Optimus Viper spacecraft at mass-production economics with rapid-response capability.

The future of space is one where satellites are monitored, maintained, and protected in orbit. At SMC, we\’re making that future real.

Why Join Us

We\’re a start-up — things move fast, resources are lean, and we\’re building as we go.

What we offer is opportunity: to learn at speed, grow with the company, and leave your fingerprints on something that\’s never been done before. At Space Machines Company, engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers join forces to push the limits of what\’s possible.

If you want to build technology designed to protect and power humanity\’s future in space — and see your work make a visible impact — this is where you\’ll do it.

How We Work

We are builders first.

We approach every challenge through a cycle of design, build, test, and refine — making ideas real, learning from results, and improving with each iteration.

We challenge assumptions to make sure we\’re solving the right problems, and we strengthen our solutions through collaboration and feedback.

We use process where it adds value and set it aside where it slows us down. There are a lot of firsts here, and we meet them with curiosity and courage.

We win as one team.

As our Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Lead, you are responsible for developing and delivering the algorithms, models, and systems that enable precision spacecraft maneuvering, stability, and mission success.

This is clean sheet GNC development. Not adapting heritage algorithms. Not incrementally improving someone else\’s control laws. You\’re building the complete GNC architecture for Optimus Viper—a spacecraft that needs to maneuver with precision and be flight-ready in months, not years.

You\’ll spend your time leading the design of GNC systems, validating performance through rigorous testing, and guiding the team to deliver reliable flight-ready solutions. Your algorithms will be validated in simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, and on-orbit within months of development.

In this role, you own outcomes from end to end, including:

Algorithm Design & Delivery – Own the development of GNC algorithms and control systems that enable precision maneuvering and stability. From attitude determination to trajectory optimization to thruster control allocation.

Integration & Validation – Ensure GNC systems are fully validated through simulation, SIL/HIL, and flight testing. Work directly with firmware, propulsion, and CDH teams to integrate and test your algorithms every build cycle.

System Optimisation – Continuously improve accuracy, robustness, and efficiency across mission cycles. Analyze flight data, identify improvements, implement changes, and validate them in the next build.

Standards & Processes – Define and maintain modeling frameworks, coding standards, and development playbooks that enable rapid iteration without sacrificing quality. Document what works so others can build on it.

Leadership & Collaboration – Mentor engineers, conduct reviews, and represent GNC in cross-discipline decisions. Build GNC capability across the team while maintaining technical excellence.

About You

You\’ll thrive in this role if you bring:

A builder\’s mindset — turning theory into working control systems through hands-on development, simulation, and testing. Comfortable moving between MATLAB and C code, between models and hardware.

An iterative approach — designing, building, testing, learning, and improving with each cycle. Comfortable with weekly integration cadence and rapid validation of new algorithms.

Collaboration and curiosity — working across disciplines with firmware, propulsion, CDH, and mission planning teams. Exploring beyond classical GNC to solve novel problems in novel ways.

Adaptability and ownership — thriving in a fast-scaling, evolving environment where requirements emerge from building. Driving outcomes end to end without waiting for perfect specifications.

Proven experience:

• 7+ years in GNC engineering, leading algorithm design, simulation, and spacecraft/robotics missions
• Strong proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for algorithm development and validation
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ and Python for flight code implementation
• Deep expertise in simulation environments (SIL/HIL), state estimation (e.g. Kalman filtering), and control theory
• Experience with real-time embedded systems and flight software integration
• Track record of delivering GNC solutions that have flown (spacecraft, UAVs, robotics, or autonomous vehicles)

Bonus experience:

• Orbital mechanics and trajectory optimization
• Thruster control allocation and momentum management
• Star tracker, IMU, and GPS sensor fusion
• Fault detection and autonomous recovery systems
• Experience with rapid development cycles in startup or fast-paced environments

What You Actually Get

You won\’t get rich quickly. But you\’ll get:

Competitive salary – Fair pay for hard work. Commensurate with experience and the impact you\’ll have.

Meaningful equity (ESOP) – Real ownership stake. Stock options that matter because you\’re joining early enough for them to matter. If we win, you win.

Actual leave – Annual leave plus personal/sick days. Because even warriors need to recover.

Public holidays – All of them.

And freedom. Real freedom to build, decide, and move without waiting for permission. That\’s not a benefit you\’ll find in a package description, but it\’s worth more than most perks on this list.