At Orbital Paradigm, we design, develop, manufacture, and operate reusable orbital logistics systems. Our spacecraft perform multiple orbital mission profiles and return safely to Earth through hypersonic atmospheric reentry and landing with pinpoint accuracy for rapid refurbishment and reuse.

Role Description

We are looking for a Senior GNC Engineer to join the team in charge of the development, verification, and implementation of end-to-end guidance, navigation, and control capabilities for reusable orbital logistics vehicles.

The role covers the full GNC lifecycle, including mission analysis, trajectory design, guidance algorithms, navigation and estimation, control laws, flight dynamics, sensors and actuators modelling, simulation, verification, and support to flight software implementation. The engineer will work closely with systems, software, avionics, propulsion, aerodynamics, mechanical, and AIT teams to deliver robust GNC solutions across orbital operations, reentry, and landing.

This is a senior role requiring strong analytical depth, practical engineering judgment, autonomy, and the ability to deliver high-quality GNC work from concept through simulation, implementation, testing, qualification, and flight operations.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop, validate, and improve end-to-end GNC architectures for reusable spacecraft missions.
- Develop guidance, navigation, estimation, and control algorithms for orbital operations, reentry, and landing phases.
- Perform mission analysis, trajectory design, flight dynamics analysis, and performance assessments.
- Develop and maintain simulation environments for GNC design, verification, and validation.
- Model spacecraft dynamics, sensors, actuators, environmental disturbances, uncertainties, and failure cases.
- Perform Monte Carlo simulation campaigns, robustness analyses, sensitivity studies, and performance verification.
- Develop and validate navigation and estimation algorithms, including Kalman filtering or equivalent methods.
- Develop and validate control laws, including linear, nonlinear, robust, or adaptive control approaches as applicable.
- Support implementation of GNC algorithms into flight software and embedded systems.
- Support SIL, HIL, EGSE, and closed-loop test campaigns for GNC verification and qualification.
- Define GNC requirements, interfaces, validation logic,



and verification evidence.
- Support sensor and actuator selection, characterization, calibration, and performance assessment.
- Analyze test and flight data to validate models, update assumptions, and improve GNC performance.
- Contribute to technical trade studies and system-level design decisions.
- Support junior engineers through technical reviews, knowledge sharing, and day-to-day collaboration.
- Prepare and maintain technical documentation, simulation reports, verification reports, and review material.
- Contribute to design reviews, test readiness reviews, qualification reviews, and flight readiness reviews.

Required Qualifications

- 3–7 years of relevant professional experience in aerospace, automotive, or other high-performance industries.
- Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Control Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field.
- Significant professional experience in GNC, flight dynamics, control systems, robotics, aerospace systems, or another relevant high-performance engineering field.
- Experience developing GNC algorithms for aerospace systems, spacecraft, launch vehicles, missiles,
- Strong understanding of spacecraft dynamics, flight mechanics, estimation, control theory, trajectory design, and closed-loop system behaviour.
- Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink for modelling, simulation, analysis, and algorithm development.
- Experience with at least one of the following: Kalman filtering, nonlinear control, or spacecraft guidance and trajectory optimization
- Experience with onboard GNC implementation, flight software integration, or embedded real-time systems.
- Experience with Monte Carlo simulation, robustness analysis, uncertainty modelling, and performance verification.
- Experience with SIL and/or HIL testing for control, navigation, embedded software, or real-time systems.
- Experience modelling sensors, actuators, environmental disturbances, dynamics,



and system uncertainties.
- Ability to translate mission and system requirements into GNC requirements, models, algorithms, and verification plans.
- Experience with GNSS, IMUs, star trackers, sun sensors, radar altimeters, air data sensors, reaction wheels, thrusters, or aerodynamic control surfaces.
- Ability to write clear technical documentation, analysis reports, test procedures, and verification reports.
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work autonomously on complex technical problems.
- Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Full proficiency in English, written and spoken.

Preferred Qualifications

- PhD in advanced control techniques
- Familiarity with aerospace industry standards such as ECSS, NASA, or MIL.
- Experience in a startup or small-company environment with fast design iterations.
- Proficiency in C/C++ for algorithm prototyping, implementation, or flight software support.
- Basic proficiency with additional programming languages such as Python and Rust.
- Experience with reentry systems, launch vehicles, orbital maneuvering, reusable spacecraft, or precision landing systems.
- Experience with model-based design, automatic code generation, or real-time simulation environments.
- Experience with post-flight data analysis, system identification, model correlation, or flight operations support.
- Familiarity with tools such as Python, GMAT, STK, Basilisk, Modelica, or equivalent mission analysis and simulation tools.
- Good proficiency in Spanish.

What We Value

- Excellence in technical work, execution, and professional conduct
- Strong ownership mindset, with the ability to drive activities to clear outcomes through accountability, proactivity, and resourcefulness
- Clear, efficient, direct, and constructive communication
- Team-first attitude with low ego and strong cross-functional collaboration

What We Offer

- Location: Madrid, Spain (office-first)
- Adaptable hybrid work (2 days/week from home + 2 fully remote weeks/year)
- 30 vacation days (23 flexible, +7 during holidays).
- Salary depending on experience and profile
- Relocation package depending on seniority and profile
- Flexible compensation (meal vouchers, health insurance, public transport)
- Company shares plan

📌 GNC - GNC Engineer (Madrid)
🏢 Orbital Paradigm
📍 Madrid