Stratolaunch accelerates the development of next-generation aerospace and defense technologies through reusable hypersonic flight testing. Our autonomous, air-launched Talon-A vehicles provide access to operationally realistic flight environments at speeds exceeding Mach 5, delivering critical data that helps customers validate system performance and advance technologies toward deployment. Our team brings together expertise in engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations to solve complex challenges and advance capabilities essential to national security.

Stratolaunch is seeking a subject matter expert in Guidance Navigation and Controls (GNC) to join the Technical Staff in Engineering. Members of the Technical Staff at Stratolaunch are the company’s foremost functional area experts, providing company-level technical leadership as they solve today’s execution problems and develop innovative solutions for the future. The successful candidate will have demonstrated leadership capability and a track record applying deep technical expertise in architecture derivation, algorithm development, and hardware implementation to solve practical engineering problems.

Essential Responsibilities

Provide company-level technical discipline leadership in GNC spanning theory to hardware
Enable world class engineering through the creation of technical standards, best practices, and common tool chains in domain(s) of expertise
Support program execution by leading teams through and/or participating in high-impact problem solutions (e.g. Failure Review Boards, RCCA, Tiger Teams)
Develop and maintain engineering capability roadmaps and lead the realization of those capabilities
Propose and lead Internal Research and Development projects to generate intellectual property and enable future business success
Support white papers, proposals, and other front end of the business efforts
Engage in in mentoring and developing more junior colleagues
Support recruiting and hiring activities

Qualifications and Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Qualifications

In-depth expertise and experience in deriving and implementing GNC architectures
Demonstrated ability as a technical leader
Demonstrated ability applying technical expertise to solve high-impact problems
Excellent verbal and written communication skills: Capable of conveying complex technical information to diverse audiences
Familiarity with relevant industry and military standards and regulatory specifications
Experience proposing and leading IRAD projects
Ability to interact with customers and/or external stakeholders
Demonstrated experience applying analytical and critical thinking skills to solve multi-disciplinary, open-ended engineering problems
Ability to work independently in a dynamic environment to achieve business goals
US Citizen with the ability to obtain a DOW security clearance
Experience with embedded systems and RTOS / FPGA implementation of algorithms
Ability to derive GNC requirements based on vehicle constraints and mission objectives
Ability to support system sizing and trade study activities based upon mission objectives
Familiarity with estimation & data fusion architecture theory and application
Familiarity with theory and hardware for air vehicle navigation (GPS, TERCOM, Magnetic)
Familiarity with autopilot architecture theory and application
Ability to objectively assess multidisciplinary data utilized in development of GNC algorithms
Experience utilizing flight test data to quantitatively reduce uncertainties and update models
Strong first principles in flight dynamics, propulsion, controls, and estimation techniques

Required Computer Skills

MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Preferred Qualifications

Working knowledge of systems engineering principles and best practices, especially relating to requirements verification through test and MBSE