Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer

Varda Space Industries · El Segundo, California, United States

Posted about 3 months ago · $219,161 - $243,513

or apply directly on Varda Space Industries's site. We never take the application ourselves.

Is this posting real?

This role has been open: 81 days
Reposted: No
Salary listed: Yes
Ghost-job risk at Varda Space Industries: high
Hiring momentum: 215 roles opened in the last 90 days
Last confirmed on the employer's board: 2026-10-23

Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from Varda Space Industries's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for Varda Space Industries.

About this role

As a Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer at Varda, you will oversee the entire lifecycle of GNC development, including design, testing, and integration of systems for aerospace applications. Your role involves performing system analyses, developing simulations, and ensuring the functionality of GNC subsystems through various stages of vehicle operation, from initial design to flight testing.

Our read on this posting4.2out of 5

benefits: 5/5
freshness: 1/5
career value: 5/5
role clarity: 5/5
pay transparency: 5/5

Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of Varda Space Industries as an employer.

What you need

B.S. degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or related field
10+ proven years of experience, or PhD with 7+ years of relevant experience
Demonstrated knowledge in designing, modeling, testing, and flying aerospace guidance, navigation, and control systems
Highly adept software and model development skills, particularly in C++/Python
Understanding of orbital mechanics, modeling and simulation, and software development
Experience anchoring/fitting first principles models to test data or high-fidelity external simulations

Nice to have

Master's degree in engineering or physics
Experience with spacecraft attitude determination and control system design
Experience with GMAT, POST2, or similar tools
Experience with Matlab/Simulink
Understanding of multi-body dynamics, flexible body dynamics, gas dynamics, fluids, and thermodynamics

What you get

Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays
100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic

Worth weighing

No remote work option mentioned; this role is on-site in El Segundo, CA
Salary range provided, but leveling and base salary depend on various factors
The company is relatively new, founded in January 2021, which may present both opportunities and risks in terms of stability and growth

Summarised from Varda Space Industries's posting. Read the full original.

Listed by Varda Space Industries on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-10-23. PitchMeAI is not the employer.

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