GNC Generalist
AstroForge
Seal Beach, CA, USA
USD 120k-160k / year + Equity
Posted on Sep 4, 2025
GNC Generalist
Seal Beach
GNC and Flight Software
In office
Full-time
About the Company
At AstroForge, our mission is to make space resources accessible on Earth. We mine asteroids to extract valuable minerals in space at a lower cost and smaller carbon footprint than current terrestrial mining methods. We offer a unique opportunity to join an exciting team looking to expand humanity’s capabilities in space.
Job Description:
As a GNC engineer at AstroForge, you’ll own a large part of the flight algorithms powering the world’s first asteroid mining vehicles. You’ll be part of a talented team of engineers to develop, analyze, and test vehicle algorithms and software for reliable, fault-tolerant flight. You should love to solve hard, multidisciplinary problems, be able to learn quickly, and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Responsibilities:
- Design, implement, and test innovative guidance, navigation, control, and perception algorithms in flight software for highly autonomous deep space missions
- Develop 6-DOF dynamics simulation models used for GNC systems analysis and validation
- Help push flight software to the edge in Monte Carlo and Hardware-in-the-loop testing and contribute fixes and performance improvements
- Review algorithms and software contributed by GNC / flight software engineers
Requirements:
- Either:
- A Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM field with at least 2 years aero or space GNC experience
- A Master’s Degree in a STEM field focusing on dynamics & control
- Experience (incl. internships, full time roles, or projects) designing and implementing algorithms for sensor fusion, state estimation, trajectory guidance, and control
- Well versed in dynamics, linear algebra, and 3D rotation math (rotation matrices, quaternions, eigen-decomposition) as well as spacecraft attitude & orbital dynamics
- Capable of solving complex, novel problems with little to no supervision on schedule as an individual or as a member of an integrated team
- Ability to work onsite in Seal Beach, CA
Preferred Experience:
- Experience operating and/or developing spacecraft
- Experience with optical navigation
- Experience with relative dynamics, rendezvous, and proximity operations
- Experience with IMUs, Star Trackers, Sun Sensors, Reaction Wheels, and other GNC hardware
- Experience implementing GNC algorithms into robust and reliable flight software
- Demonstrated experience in a software engineering environment using software engineering best practices: version control, continuous integration, unit testing
- Experience in a startup environment
Benefits
- 100% paid medical, dental, and life insurance coverage
- Vision and FSA benefits available
- 3 weeks of PTO + 1 week of sick time
- 10 paid holidays
- Retirement savings plan – 401(k), with company match
- Equity on the ground floor of a startup
Salary
$120,000 - $160,000
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Government.
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Resume *
Click to upload or drag and drop here
First name *
Last name *
Email *
LinkedIn URL
Are you a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15)? *
By applying you agree to Gem's terms and privacy policy.
Save your info to apply to other roles faster & help employers reach you.
Req ID: R64
