Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Systems Engineer | Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC | Fastwater Staffing

📍Location: Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
📄Employment Type: Full-Time
🏢Work Arrangement: On-site preferred; hybrid/remote consideration for exceptional candidates
🚀Start Date: TBD
💰Compensation: TBD — based on skills and experience

Important Screening Requirements

• Must have aB.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 10+ years of GNC/AOCS experience on LEO, MEO, or GEO satellite platforms.
• Strong experience inorbital mechanics, attitude dynamics, and control-law design.
• Experience implementingreal-time filtering and control algorithms in embedded code.
• Hands-on experience withnavigation sensors and actuators.
• Strong aerospace systems engineering background.
• Experience supportingsystems integration, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Experience withConfluence and JIRA.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in anEnglish and French work environment.

About the Role

We are seeking a seniorGuidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Systems Engineer to support the design, integration, verification, and operational support of GNC subsystems for current and next-generationremote sensing and communications satellites.

This role spans the complete GNC subsystem lifecycle—from algorithm development and hardware implementation through integration, verification, and on-orbit operational support.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise inorbital dynamics, attitude determination and control, navigation, and real-time flight software integration, while being comfortable working closely with subsystem and mission operations teams throughout the spacecraft lifecycle.

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for a senior GNC/AOCS systems engineer who can work across thefull spacecraft lifecycle and bridge GNC algorithms, spacecraft hardware, flight software, systems engineering, integration, verification, and mission operations.

The ideal candidate goes beyond analysis and simulation, with hands-on experience translating GNC concepts intointegrated spacecraft systems and supporting those systems through testing and on-orbit operations.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & Requirements

• Derive GNC functional, performance, and safety requirements from mission-level requirements.
• Define requirements related to pointing accuracy, slew rates, orbit-maintenance ΔV, and fault tolerance.
• Develop and maintainSystem Requirements, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and system description documentation.
• Manage requirements and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the project lifecycle.

Modeling & Trade Studies

• Conduct trade studies involving navigation sensor suites and actuator families.
• Perform high-fidelity spacecraft dynamics simulations usingMATLAB/Simulink and STK.
• Develop and maintain error budgets.
• Analyze control-law stability, fuel consumption, and survivability margins.
• Evaluate GNC architectures and design alternatives.

Algorithm Development

• Design and implement attitude-determination algorithms.
• Develop orbit-determination solutions.
• Develop control laws for:
  • 3-axis stabilization
  • Slew maneuvers
  • Station keeping
• Validate algorithms usingMonte Carlo analysis and worst-case scenarios.
• SupportSoftware-in-the-Loop (SIL) andHardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing on avionics test benches.

Cross-Functional & Systems Engineering

• Translate GNC algorithms into requirements for real-time flight software.
• Collaborate with C&DH and flight software teams on telemetry/telecommand, schedulers, and FDIR logic.
• Present technical status, risk analyses, and trade-study results to senior management.
• Negotiate and maintain ICDs with other spacecraft subsystems.
• SupportPhase 0 and pre-Phase A activities.

Hardware Selection & Design

• Specify GNC sensor and actuator hardware.
• Define electrical, mechanical, and thermal interfaces.
• Conduct trade studies involving redundancy architectures.
• Work with structures and thermal engineering teams to ensure appropriate mounting, thermal paths, and vibration survivability.
• Review harness routing and power distribution for GNC electronics.

Integration & Verification

• Develop Verification Plans, Test Matrices, and Validation Procedures for unit, subsystem, and spacecraft-level GNC testing.
• Lead functional testing, including:
  • Sensor calibration
  • Actuator command-response testing
  • Closed-loop attitude-control testing
  • On-orbit checkout sequences
• ConductFMEA, FTA, and reliability assessments.
• Support system integration and troubleshooting activities.

Technical Leadership & Documentation

• Mentor and guide junior engineers and interns.
• Serve as a technical liaison with customers, partners, and external vendors.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, engineering standards, and organizational knowledge bases.
• Support technology road-mapping and innovation activities.
• Maintain GNC standards covering sensor/actuator interfaces, filter design, and control-law documentation.
• Ensure analyses, software, deliverables, and technical documentation are properly version controlled.
• Support major design reviews includingSRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, and TRR.

On-Orbit & Operations Support

• Support operational procedures fordetumble, orbit maintenance, safe mode, and related GNC activities.
• Provide real-time GNC support duringlaunch, early-orbit checkout, and contingency events.
• Analyze on-orbit telemetry and update filter parameters as required.
• Generate GNC performance reports.
• SupportSatellite Operations Handbook (SOOH) development and operator training.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree inElectrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 10+ years of GNC/AOCS experience on LEO, MEO, or GEO satellite platforms.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Orbital mechanics
  • Attitude dynamics
  • Control-law design
  • Classical and modern optimal control
• Experience with navigation sensors and actuators.
• Experience implementing real-time filtering and control algorithms in embedded code.
• Strong understanding of aerospace systems engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on experience supporting systems integration, testing, and problem resolution.
• Experience withConfluence and JIRA.
• Ability to work efficiently with limited supervision.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Specialized academic or professional background inflight dynamics, control theory, or navigation.
• Experience across the complete spacecraft GNC lifecycle, from concept and algorithm development through integration and on-orbit operations.
• Experience withMATLAB/Simulink and STK.
• Experience withSIL/HIL testing and avionics test benches.
• Experience with spacecraftFDIR, telemetry/telecommand, and flight software integration.
• Experience supporting spacecraft design reviews and Phase 0/pre-Phase A activities.
• Experience with GNC hardware interfaces, redundancy architectures, and spacecraft environmental considerations.
• Experience conductingFMEA, FTA, and reliability analysis.