GNC Lead

we’re looking for a GNC Lead to take ownership of our GNC architecture from the ground up, enabling autonomous drone flight, proximity ops, formation flying, and docking.

this is not a role where you’ll inherit or contribute to a GNC stack. you’ll build it.

• build the GNC stack and team that will fly thousands of autonomous space drones across commercial inspection and defense programs

  • define flight and formation strategies for autonomous spacecraft operating across a range of missions

  • lead trade studies for GNC components including IMUs, star trackers, sun sensors, LiDAR, and prop systems

  • design, implement, validate, and operate GNC algorithms for precision inspection, RPOD, formation flying, and other autonomous mission profiles

  • drive integration between GNC, flight software, and mission systems

  • develop and implement GNC fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) strategies

  • help build a comprehensive but lean EDU, including an expansive “air-floor” for rapid flight iteration and validation

• contribute to our specialized “space drone” EDU specs and implementation

  • own simulation, monte carlo analysis, and performance validation

  • lead flight-test campaigns and own the go/no-go decision for GNC deployment

  • once we’ve built our “air-floor”, you will fly multiple RPOD tests per day for rapid iteration

• recruit and mentor the leading autonomous GNC team for precision inspection, RPOD, and formation flying

• help build agmen as a technical co-founder, supporting across all decisions, customer engagements, hiring, and program reviews

real ownership: you will define, build, and fly the GNC architecture and algorithms rather than simply maintaining or iterating on an existing system.

founding-level role: you will be a core technical leader in the business, with meaningful equity and involvement in technical decisions, customer engagement, and building the team.

more testing, faster iteration: once the “air-floor” is operational, we’ll test RPOD and formation flying in real-time on a daily basis, giving you daily opportunities to test, learn, and iterate.

build something that flies: if you’ve previously owned GNC systems and want the challenge of taking a capability from a blank sheet through testing and ultimately into space at scale, this role is for you.

requirements:

• significant experience owning or leading GNC systems

• hands-on experience with RPOD and/or formation flying

• comfortable and excited about building architectures and systems from the ground up

• US citizenship

• ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance

benefits:

• significant or co-founder-level equity

• best-in-class employer-paid benefits

• unlimited and flexible PTO, including snow days