IonQ
Staff Engineer - GNC/ADCS
Louisville, Colorado, United States · Staff+ · Contract
Work authorization required$146k-$182kDetected 9 hours ago
PythonC++MATLABAlgorithmsAWSFinancial ModelingLogisticsRoboticsMechanical DesignAerospace EngineeringElectrical EngineeringHardware DesignSensorsControlsSimulinkResearchLeadershipCommunicationCollaboration
About the role
- You will serve as a cognizant engineer for GNC hardware and software.
- Your work will have a direct impact on spacecraft performance and the overall technical success of Capella.
- This role sits in the Spacecraft Engineering organization, alongside systems, thermal, electrical/harnessing, mechanical/deployables, radar/communications, and flight software engineers.
Responsibilities
- Drive the full lifecycle for ADCS and Propulsion systems supporting a constellation of spacecraft: design, build, test, on-orbit operations, and decommissioning.
- Generate and own ADCS and Propulsion systems performance requirements to satisfy high-level mission objectives.
- Lead research and development for new spacecraft subsystems, working from first principles to develop and execute complex trade studies, conduct system sizing and design, and present at program-level design reviews.
- Be a technical authority on control theory. Design and implement state estimators and control algorithms for the localization and pointing of cutting-edge quantum missions and radar-imaging spacecraft.
- Develop custom software tools to automate engineering workflows, support design studies, and enhance spacecraft on-orbit operational efficiency.
- Build high fidelity software simulations to model spacecraft dynamics and system behavior.
- Serve as the technical contact for external ADCS and Propulsion vendors and partners and keep informed of the broader industry landscape.
- You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team of engineers to ensure existing spacecraft meet their mission objectives and to design and develop next- generation systems.
Requirements
- Familiarity with GNC/ADCS hardware: star trackers, sun sensors, reaction wheels, torque rods, control moment gyroscopes, propulsion systems, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, GPS, etc.
- Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, Python, or C/C++, and experience developing software for flight applications.
- Experience dealing with unknowns, quantifying risk, navigating uncertainty, and handling the pressure of a real-time operating environment.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and cross-functionally.
Nice to have
- Be a technical authority on control theory.
- Act as a subject matter expert for all things ADCS and Propulsion.
- Occasional travel may be required.
- Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or related technical field.
- 5+ years of experience with GNC, ADCS, or control systems, on spacecraft, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or UAVs/drones.
- Solid understanding of state estimation/filtering and applications.
- Demonstrated leadership of hardware development projects.
- Familiarity with orbital dynamics and the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space environment.
Compensation
- The approximate base salary range for this position is $145,920 - $182,000.
- The final job level and annual salary will be determined based on the education, qualification, knowledge, skills, ability, and experience of the final candidate(s), specific office location and calibrated against relevant market data and internal team equity.
- Compensation will vary based on individual factors such as education, qualifications, and experience of the final candidate(s), specific office location, and calibration against relevant market data and internal team equity.
- Posted base salary figures are subject to change as new market data becomes available.
Benefits
- Benefits listed in this posting may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Capella Space.
- Our benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, matching 401(k), unlimited PTO and paid holidays, parental/adoption leave, legal insurance, and a home technology stipend.
- Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided when a candidate receives an offer of employment.
- We are committed to equity and justice.
Visa & Work Authorization
- citizen, lawful U
This listing is sourced directly from IonQ's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.