Senior Spacecraft Navigation Engineer

Are you passionate about navigating spacecraft throughout the Solar System?

Would you love to apply your technical knowledge and creativity to make innovative contributions to spectacular space missions?

Are you searching for a collaborative, fulfilling work environment?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL!

We are seeking motivated Spacecraft Navigation Engineers to help the Astrodynamics and Control Systems group (SAC) develop, analyze, test, and deliver spacecraft for both NASA missions and National Security Space (NSS) projects. We are looking for engineers with experience in orbit determination and navigation in various environments, with a focus on optical navigation (OpNav) and terrain relative navigation (TRN). Our spacecraft reaches the extremes of the solar system, from Parker Solar Probe at the Sun to New Horizons at Pluto and beyond, with formation flying at Earth, as well as planetary defense with DART. We would love to have you apply your talents to our challenges. As a member of our team, you will contribute to the development of critical space missions, joining a hardworking team of engineers who strive to deliver groundbreaking solutions. You will have the opportunity to support both pre-launch spacecraft development and post-launch operations performance analysis and system updates. We are passionate about our work, striving to cultivate an environment of partnership and collaboration, and committed to making critical contributions to critical challenges.

As a Navigation Engineer...

• Your primary responsibility will be supporting the position, navigation, and timing (PNT) needs of various NASA and NSS projects.
• You will design, implement, analyze, and test optical navigation techniques, including both relative and absolute navigation algorithms and working with novel optical sensing methods.
• You will develop and implement navigation algorithms for both ground software and/or embedded flight software.
• You will test software to support the integration of testbed algorithms and flight software with flight and ground support equipment hardware.

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

• Possess an MS in Aerospace or Electrical Engineering or related field with 7 years of experience in an engineering field.
• Have 7 years of experience in optical navigation algorithms such as limb fitting, attitude estimation, bearing measurements, and TRN.
• Have 7 years of experience developing, testing, and deploying OpNav algorithms with Python, C/C++, or MATLAB.
• Are eager to learn new concepts in Nav and OpNav and apply them to develop novel technologies for spacecraft PNT.
• Are able to obtain TS/SCI security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

• Possess a PhD in Aerospace or Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Have spacecraft mission experience in design, analysis, verification & validation, development, testing, or operations of navigation subsystems, particularly if the experience is with optical navigation.
• Have the ability to implement and analyze image processing and lidar navigation techniques.
• Have experience using and developing with the "Goddard Image Analysis and Navigation Tool" (GIANT)

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Why Work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation's most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL's campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at http://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accommodations@jhuapl.edu.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.