Freelance Flight Simulator Engineer Jobs in Utah

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescriptionAt Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Join Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and start contributing to our team of passionate professionals providing real-life solutions to our world's biggest challenges. We take pride in creating purposeful work and allowing our employees to grow and achieve their goals every day by Defining Possible. With our competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, we have the right opportunities to fit your life and launch your career today.

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking Principal / Sr. Principal GN&C Engineer to support activities including flight simulator development, GN&C algorithm development and implementation, and "test as you fly" with rigorous model and requirements verification and validation. This position will be in Roy, Utah supporting Flight Systems Futures.

What you will get to do:

The selected engineer in this role will develop and mature guidance and control (G&C) algorithms, guidance laws for trajectory shaping, and high-fidelity 6-DOF flight simulations for complex aerospace systems. This includes designing guidance laws to meet mission-specific trajectory and end-game performance objectives, and tuning control laws using classical and modern control techniques (PID, gain scheduling, optimal and robust control) while integrating these algorithms into simulation and flight software environments. The engineer will enhance existing G&C analysis tools, perform covariance and circular-error-probable (CEP) accuracy assessments, and contribute to emerging mission capabilities across advanced programs.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative team player and strong independent contributor who demonstrates ownership of tasks, initiative, and sound technical judgment. They show advanced problem-solving skills and excellent written and verbal communication, coupled with strong interpersonal and organizational capabilities, a proactive mindset, and a meticulous, detail-oriented approach to their work.

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with a team of GN&C engineers in an Agile environment to meet critical milestones
• Develop, verify, and validate guidance and control algorithms, including guidance laws for trajectory shaping, and 6-DOF flight simulations in a multi-disciplinary team environment
• Perform trajectory assessment, flight analyses, covariance analysis, and CEP/accuracy evaluations
• Enhance and maintain G&C analysis tools to support new mission requirements and performance tuning
• Apply trajectory optimization and nonlinear control techniques to improve missile trajectory performance.
• Participate in engineering review boards, technical interchange meetings, and critical milestone reviews
• Work with the GN&C Flight Software Team to automatically generate code from high-level specifications or models, ensuring consistency and reducing manual errors
• Model key subsystems such as IMUs, control actuators, and propulsion / thrust-vector control for use in G&C design and simulation
• Use C++ and MATLAB with object-oriented design principles to implement and analyze G&C software
• Collaborate closely with GN&C flight software teams to transition guidance and control algorithms into flight-worthy implementations

This position may be filled as a Principal (level 3) or Sr. Principal (level 4) Systems Engineer.

Basic Qualifications:

Principal GN&C Engineer:

• Bachelor's degree in STEM and 5 years of experience, 3 years of experience with master's degree, 0 years of experience with PhD.
• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years
• Must have the ability to obtain Top Secret Clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable period as determined by the business needs of the company.
• 1 year of experience developing autopilot algorithms for flight vehicles
• 1 year of experience with guidance law design for trajectory shaping and precision impact requirements.
• 1 year of experience with MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and code generation
• 1 year of experience working in multidisciplinary teams (aero, structures, thermal, software)

Sr. Principal GN&C Engineer:

• Bachelor's degree in STEM and 8 years of experience, 6 years of experience with master's degree, 4 years of experience with PhD.

• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years
• Must have current Special Access Program (SAP) approval at time of hire.
• 2 years of experience developing autopilot algorithms for flight vehicles
• 2 years of experience with guidance law design for trajectory shaping and precision impact requirements.
• 3 years of experience with MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and code generation
• 2 years of experience working in multidisciplinary teams (aero, structures, thermal, software)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Navigation and sensor fusion (INS, GPS, star tracker, lidar)
• Knowledge of Flight dynamics of high Mach vehicles (aerodynamics, thermodynamics, propulsion integration)
• Knowledge of Advanced control theory (state space, optimal, robust, nonlinear, adaptive)
• Proven track record of troubleshooting complex real time systems
• Knowledge of Real-time embedded systems and hard real-time constraints
• Experience in deploying algorithms to software, hardware, and testing.
• Python for data analysis & rapid prototyping
• Use of version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with real-time operating systems
• Experience with hardware in the loop (HIL) and software in the loop (SIL) testbeds
• Use of Monte Carlo, robustness, and performance analysis tools
• Participation in at least one flight test program (e.g., sounding rocket, missile, UAV)
• Knowledge of test article instrumentation, telemetry, and fault diagnostics
• Familiarity with hypersonic phenomena: shock wave interactions, real gas effects, ablative heating, plasma communication blackout
• Experience evaluating impacts of control effectors on guidance and control (latency, bandwidth, etc)
• Experience evaluating impacts of navigation sensors on guidance and control (latency, frequency, etc)
• Experience developing targeting and guidance laws for hypersonic vehicles.
• Experience with linear stability analysis to determine control system stability margins
• Experience integrating guidance law design with navigation and control to achieve stringent terminal accuracy and precision impact requirements in contested environments.
• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded code (preferably MISRA C compliant)

As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman Space Systems, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• 401k
• Educational Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness Resources
• Employee Discounts

This position's standard work schedule is 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.