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Senior GNC Engineer

Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

We are seeking a Senior GNC Engineer to develop guidance, navigation, and control solutions for Castelion's long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. This role is critical to enabling stable, precise, and adaptive flight performance across all mission phases. You will work hands-on with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, analyze, implement, and validate control and autopilot algorithms in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment.

Responsibilities

  • Design and develop flight control and autopilot algorithms for high-speed flight vehicles across atmospheric and exo-atmospheric regimes
  • Develop and implement advanced control strategies, including adaptive and robust control methods, to ensure performance under uncertain and dynamic conditions
  • Conduct modeling, simulation, and analysis (3DOF/6DOF) to evaluate control system performance, stability, and robustness
  • Work closely with avionics, flight sciences, mechanisms, and flight software teams to integrate control algorithms into real-time embedded systems
  • Support hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, flight testing, and post-flight analysis, translating results into system-level improvements
  • Analyze vehicle dynamics, actuator behavior, and sensor characteristics to inform control system design and tuning
  • Develop tools and frameworks for control system design, verification, and validation
  • Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in GNC and control system development
  • Partner closely with program leadership to make technical trades aligned with mission success

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
  • 5+ years of experience in control system design, analysis, and validation for aerospace or high-performance dynamic systems
  • Strong background in classical and modern control theory, including adaptive, nonlinear, and robust control methods
  • Experience developing autopilot algorithms for missiles, rockets, hypersonic vehicles, or similar systems
  • Proficiency in modeling and simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent
  • Experience with 3DOF and 6DOF simulation environments and real-time control implementation
  • Familiarity with flight software integration and real-time embedded systems
  • Strong problem-solving mindset, thriving in a fast-paced, hardware-rich, high flight cadence environment

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits And Perks

All full-time employees are granted meaningful long-term equity, sharing in the company's significant growth trajectory. We offer four (4) weeks of paid time off, ten (10) company-paid holidays, and comprehensive health benefits - including 100% employee-covered medical and strong dependent coverage, along with dental and vision plans. We also provide paid parental leave to support growing families, a $100 monthly fitness stipend to promote health and performance, and onsite EV charging for convenience. In addition, employees enjoy perks like catered meals, company-covered food during high-demand periods, and a fully stocked kitchen to stay fueled throughout the day.

While this position does not currently require a U.S government-issued security clearance, it may in the near future. Therefore, the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government–issued security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

About Castelion

Castelion

Castelion is one of the fastest-rising defense technology companies focused on building affordable, rapidly deployable hypersonic strike systems for the U.S. military. Founded by former SpaceX leaders, the company is working to modernize how advanced weapons are developed and manufactured—using rapid iteration, vertical integration, and scalable production to deliver next-generation deterrence capabilities faster than traditional defense programs. Castelion’s mission centers on restoring America’s ability to field advanced military technology at speed and scale.

For job seekers, Castelion offers the opportunity to work directly on some of the most advanced technologies in national defense, including propulsion systems, avionics, flight software, guidance and navigation, missile systems, and advanced manufacturing. The company hires across aerospace engineering, embedded software, manufacturing, test engineering, avionics, cybersecurity, and operations—making it especially attractive to engineers, builders, veterans, and mission-driven professionals who want hands-on ownership of real hardware.

Unlike traditional defense contractors, Castelion operates with a startup-style engineering culture modeled after rapid aerospace development environments. Employees work closely with flight hardware, testing, and production systems in a fast-paced setting where speed, accountability, and execution are prioritized. The company openly emphasizes a builder mentality—giving team members the chance to own major projects and contribute directly to systems with national security impact.

As the U.S. military increases investment in hypersonic weapons, missile modernization, and scalable deterrence capabilities, Castelion continues to grow rapidly through major government contracts and manufacturing expansion. For professionals seeking a high-growth aerospace and defense company where they can help shape the future of national security technology, Castelion is quickly becoming one of the most exciting employers in the defense innovation ecosystem.

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