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Guidance Navigation Control Engineer Jobs in Illinois

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Guidance Navigation Control Engineer information

See Illinois salary details

$53.3K

$93.6K

$126.9K

How much do guidance navigation control engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for guidance navigation control engineer in Illinois is $93,582.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $80,900.00 and $104,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a guidance navigation control engineer?

Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and test systems that guide and control the movement of vehicles such as aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and autonomous vehicles. Their work involves creating algorithms and integrating sensors and actuators to ensure precise navigation and stability. GNC Engineers play a critical role in mission planning, real-time control, and safety, making sure vehicles follow their intended paths accurately. They often collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to solve complex problems related to flight dynamics, navigation, and control systems.

What does a guidance navigation control engineer do?

A guidance, navigation, and control engineer designs, manufactures, and tests aircraft and other vehicles. Your duties span research and development, analysis, design, and manufacturing. As a GNC engineer, you are an aerospace engineer with responsibilities that include examining design proposals for financial and structural feasibility, overseeing the design and manufacturing system operations, and running tests to determine safety and performance. You manage quality control, look for issues with designs and final products, and determine what solutions are safe and effective. You must understand and apply concepts like propulsion and flight mechanics, aerodynamics, and thermodynamics when designing and building vehicles.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a guidance navigation control engineer?

To thrive as a Guidance Navigation Control Engineer, you need a strong background in aerospace engineering, control theory, and mathematics, usually supported by a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree. Familiarity with simulation tools like MATLAB/Simulink, programming languages such as C/C++, and experience with sensor integration and embedded systems are typically required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork and communication skills help you excel in this role. These skills and qualities are vital to ensure the safe, precise, and reliable operation of complex aerospace or autonomous systems.

How does a guidance navigation control engineer typically collaborate with multidisciplinary teams during a project?

Guidance Navigation Control Engineers work closely with professionals from various disciplines, such as mechanical engineers, software developers, and systems engineers, to ensure that navigation and control systems are seamlessly integrated into larger aerospace or robotics projects. Regular meetings, design reviews, and simulation sessions are common, where GNC engineers both contribute their expertise and adapt solutions based on feedback from other teams. This collaborative environment helps resolve integration challenges early and ensures that final products meet safety, performance, and reliability standards.

What are the most commonly searched types of Guidance Navigation Control Engineer jobs in Illinois?

The most popular types of Guidance Navigation Control Engineer jobs in Illinois are:

What are popular job titles related to Guidance Navigation Control Engineer jobs in Illinois?

For Guidance Navigation Control Engineer jobs in Illinois, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities in Illinois are hiring for Guidance Navigation Control Engineer jobs?

Cities in Illinois with the most Guidance Navigation Control Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Guidance Navigation Control Engineer job openings in Illinois as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 16% Part Time, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $93,582 per year, or $45 per hour.

Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineering Analyst - Level 5

Begell House Inc.

Virginia, IL • On-site

$177 - $265.60/hr

Other

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted yesterday

New


Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Job Summary

At 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. Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations.

Location & Onsite

Northrop Grumman's Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a senior Guidance Navigation Control (GNC) Engineering Analyst – Level 5 located in Dulles, VA, you'll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.

Schedule

This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.

Key Responsibilities
  • Design, analyze, and tune spacecraft attitude and position control loops using time and frequency domain techniques
  • Design and analyze relative guidance solutions for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO)
  • Design, analyze, and tune sequential filters (e.g. Kalman filters) for attitude determination and relative navigation
  • Analyze and test the spacecraft GNC subsystem performance using simulations and other analytic tools
  • Perform analysis to support early design phase concept development including actuator sizing and placement, sensor selection and placement, attitude and position guidance, rendezvous, proximity operations and docking analyses, and predicted performance assessments
  • Develop simulation models for sensors (e.g. star tracker, rate gyro, accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer, sun sensors), actuators (e.g. reaction wheel, torque bar, thruster, CMG), system dynamics (e.g. rigid body, multi-body, orbit mechanics, flexible models, propellant slosh), and the space environment (e.g. atmospheric, solar radiation pressure, third-body gravity, geopotential)
  • Communication is a key element of your role and all GNC engineers are expected to:
    • Apply engineering principles, industry standards, company process, and knowledge of vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, classical/modern control, and estimation theory to perform tasks to advanced program/project goals
    • Document designs, analysis, and test results and create presentation materials
    • Present designs, analysis, and test results to internal and external customers
  • Work well within small- to medium-sized groups
  • Other duties as assigned
Basic Qualifications for Level 5
  • Bachelor's degree with 12 years of professional experience – OR – Master's degree with 10 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 8 years of professional experience. Will consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of degree.
  • Requires an active U.S. Government Top-Secret (TS) security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with the ability to obtain and maintain SCI approval/access.
  • Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++.
  • Experience in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem design, analysis, and testing; can include Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS).
Preferred Qualifications
  • Current/Active SCI and/or SAP.
  • MS or PhD in engineering, physics, or math.
  • Experience with version control tools such as SVN or Git.
  • Experience implementing spacecraft GNC algorithms on embedded systems.
  • Strong technical fundamentals in the areas of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics, navigation filtering and/or control systems design.
  • Experience with on-orbit space vehicle operations, commanding, debugging, and use of flight telemetry to track performance metrics.
  • Experience with Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) algorithms, practices and planning strategies.
  • Experience with performing spacecraft GNC design, analysis, Hardware (HW) and Integration & Test (I&T), or flight operations.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
  • Previous/current membership or leadership roles in professional groups, clubs, or extracurricular activities are desired.
Benefits

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life.

Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00. The 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.
  • Health insurance coverage
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Savings plan
  • Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
Application Information

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.

Equal Opportunity Information

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 U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Security & Clearance

U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

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