GNC Principal Engineer

Principal Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Engineer

Location: Tempe, Arizona (On-Site)

Employment Type: Full-Time

Security Clearance: Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Engineer to lead the design, development, integration, and testing of the complete GNC architecture for an advanced aerospace platform. This is a highly visible technical leadership role with direct ownership over flight-critical algorithms and systems from simulation through live flight testing.

The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in flight dynamics, controls, estimation, and autonomous systems, along with the ability to take a system from concept through deployment in a fast-paced engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain high-fidelity 6-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) simulations serving as the authoritative system model.
• Develop and implement guidance laws, state estimation algorithms, navigation solutions, and flight control systems.
• Design, tune, and validate autopilot architectures to meet mission requirements.
• Integrate GNC algorithms into production flight software operating on embedded, real-time systems.
• Lead hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and support live flight test activities.
• Analyze simulation and flight test data to improve system performance and reliability.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including software, avionics, autonomy, and systems engineering.
• Drive technical architecture decisions and establish best practices for GNC development.
• Support rapid prototyping and iterative development efforts.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor"s, Master"s, or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.

• Strong foundation in:

• Flight Dynamics

• Control Systems

• Guidance Algorithms

• Navigation and State Estimation

• Demonstrated experience developing systems end-to-end, from simulation through testing and deployment.

• Proficiency in modern C++ development for production environments.

• Experience with embedded systems and real-time software constraints.

• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills for complex hardware and software systems.

• U.S. Citizenship required.

• Ability to work on-site in Tempe, Arizona.

• Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Approximately 5-10+ years of industry experience in GNC, flight controls, autonomy, or related fields.

• Experience supporting:

• Missile Systems

• Interceptors

• Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

• Autonomous Aerospace Platforms

• Hands-on experience with:

• 6DOF Simulation Development

• Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing

• Flight Test Execution and Analysis

• Sensor Fusion

• Kalman Filtering

• Navigation Algorithms

• Experience in startup or rapid-development environments.

• Active security clearance or prior clearance eligibility.

What You"ll Own

• The complete Guidance, Navigation & Control architecture.
• High-fidelity simulation development and maintenance.
• Autopilot, guidance, controls, and state estimation development.
• Integration of GNC software into flight systems.
• Validation through simulation, HIL testing, and live flight testing.

Why Join

• Ownership of the entire GNC stack from concept to flight.
• Opportunity to develop a C++-first flight architecture.
• Rapid design, test, and iteration cycles with real-world hardware.
• Significant influence on system design and technical direction.
• Direct impact on a platform intended for near-term deployment and operational use.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Tempe, AZ.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $200000.00/yr.

o Benefits: Nivagen offers a wide variety of benefits and programs to support health and well-being o Medical, dental and vision coverage o Paid time off plan o 401k savings plan

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Tempe,AZ.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 31, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.