GNC Engineer

About the Position

GNC Engineer

Location: Glasgow, Scotland

As a GNC/AOCS Engineer at Spire, you will be part of a technical team responsible for the full lifecycle of the Spire GNC product and its subcomponents. The GNC team works closely with various engineering groups to conduct R&D, design, manufacturing, and operations activities, ensuring all current and future spacecraft systems meet their mission. Ideal candidates will embrace the commercialization of nanosatellite systems and adapt to low-cost, fast-paced systems design, development, and implementation methodologies that set Spire apart from our competition. In this fast-paced environment, the design to launch cycle is measured in weeks and months, not years.

Responsibilities

• Design, evaluate, select, qualify, and implement flight sensors, including magnetometers, sun sensors, inertial measurement devices, Earth sensors, and/or star trackers.
• Design, evaluate, select, qualify, and implement flight actuators, including magnetic torque elements, reaction wheels, and propulsion systems.
• Design, implement, and maintain simulation models for GNC subcomponents in our 6-DOF simulation environment.
• Take technical ownership of current and future GNC avionics peripherals, supporting troubleshooting, design, and updates to improve reliability and performance.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including hardware, software, and systems engineers, to integrate avionics solutions into the larger platform.
• Develop component qualification and acceptance processes and be hands-on in laboratory and manufacturing environments.

Requirements

• Experience with flight sensors for spacecraft attitude determination/estimation.
• Experience with actuators, including actuator sizing, modeling, design, and integration.
• A solid foundation in spacecraft attitude dynamics and control algorithms, with emphasis on sensor ingestions and actuator command calculation.
• Experience working hands-on with hardware and familiarity with 'hardware-in-the-loop' simulation.
• Experience developing software using C/Python.
• Experience or familiarity with the Linux development environment.
• Experience working with external engineering contractors.

Nice to Have

• Experience writing flight software.
• Experience designing and/or implementing Kalman filters and feedback control for attitude estimation.
• Experience with C or C++ development for embedded systems.
• Experience with spacecraft design.
• Experience with spacecraft assembly, integration, and testing.
• Experience with spacecraft operations and maintenance.
• Experience identifying and resolving system anomalies.
• Experience creating and maintaining integration and test campaigns for attitude determination and control systems, including hardware and software.

We Offer

• Hybrid work model with a minimum of three days per week in the office.
• Access to US export-controlled software and/or technology (licenses arranged by Spire).
• Global Perks:
  • Name Your Satellite Program (NYSP)
  • Launch Attendance
  • Generous Time Off Policy
  • Education Assistance Program
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
  • Family Leave
  • Fitness Reimbursement
  • Employee Referral Program
  • Healthy snacks & beverages in every office

About the Company

Spire Global is a space-to-cloud analytics company that owns and operates the largest multi-purpose constellation of satellites. Its proprietary data and algorithms provide the most advanced maritime, aviation, and weather tracking in the world. In addition to its constellation, Spire’s data infrastructure includes a global ground station network and 24/7 operations that provide real-time global coverage of every point on Earth.

We improve life on Earth with data from space.

Spire is Global and our success draws upon the diverse viewpoints, skills, and experiences of our employees. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status.

To help maintain a safe and secure workplace for Spire employees, all candidates who receive a conditional offer will be required to complete a background check. This may include criminal history and employment verification.

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Kindly be advised that communication regarding your application may come from @spire.com, @recruiting.spire.com, or from Candidate.fyi (our scheduling tool).