Come join us in shaping the future! Get in on the ground floor as an early member of our Systems Engineering team as a Senior Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer developing a revolutionary satellite communications system. Connect the vision to the hardware, build it, test it and fly it.

AscendArc is a seed stage startup founded to revolutionize the satellite communications industry. We are looking for doers who want to work in a ground-breaking and fast-paced environment. Our success will depend on your energy, skill, and creativity.

Responsibilities

You’ll own GNC for our GEO platform — the brain and reflexes that keep our satellite where it needs to be. This isn’t a narrow “paper-pushing” role. You’ll design algorithms, run sims, integrate flight code, and see it all the way to operations.

Day-to-day, you might be:

• Designing and tuning attitude control and orbit station-keeping strategies for GEO.
• Modeling spacecraft dynamics, environmental forces, and actuator behavior.
• Writing and testing navigation and estimation algorithms.
• Building simulations in MATLAB, Python, or C++ to validate GNC performance.
• Running hardware-in-the-loop tests with sensors and actuators.
• Supporting mission planning for launch, transfer, and on-orbit maneuvers.
• Debugging, iterating, and working directly with avionics, propulsion, and software teammates.

Qualifications

• Solid background in spacecraft dynamics, control theory, and estimation.
• Experience with at least one of the standard tools: MATLAB/Simulink, Python, C/C++, STK, GMAT, Orekit.
• Hands-on familiarity with satellite sensors/actuators (star trackers, gyros, wheels, thrusters, GNSS).
• Ability to go from whiteboard → prototype → tested code quickly.
• Comfortable wearing multiple hats and working in a startup-style environment (less bureaucracy, more ownership).

Bonus points if you have

• Experience with GEO satellites (station-keeping, momentum management, transfer orbits).
• Worked on flight software, embedded systems, or real-time control.
• Run HIL/SIL test campaigns.
• Seen a spacecraft mission through integration, launch, or operations.

Why You’ll Love It Here

• You won’t just be a cog in the machine — you’ll be owning a critical subsystem.
• You’ll get to work on flight hardware that will be in orbit, not just PowerPoints.
• Small team = big impact, fast iteration, and real responsibility.
• Most importantly: you’ll help shape the future of how GEO missions get built and flown.

The base salary range for this position is $120,000 – 190,000. When determining an individual’s compensation, we consider several factors including skillset, experience, job scope, and current market data, so pay for this role may vary from the amounts listed.

AscendArc is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor or legally protected status.