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Guidance Navigation Control Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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Guidance Navigation Control information

What are some common challenges faced by professionals in guidance, navigation, and control roles, and how can they be addressed?

Professionals in GNC roles often encounter challenges such as ensuring system reliability in dynamic environments, integrating complex hardware and software components, and maintaining accuracy under rapidly changing conditions. To address these, GNC engineers typically rely on rigorous simulation and testing, cross-functional collaboration with systems and software teams, and continuous learning to stay updated on emerging technologies. Proactive communication and agile problem-solving are essential to navigate the fast-paced and detail-oriented nature of this role.

What is guidance, navigation, and control (GNC)?

Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) refers to the engineering discipline focused on directing the movement of vehicles such as aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and autonomous vehicles. Guidance determines the desired path or trajectory, navigation estimates the vehicle's current position and velocity, and control ensures the vehicle follows the desired path by adjusting its actuators. Together, GNC systems enable precise and safe operation of vehicles in complex environments. Professionals in this field work on designing algorithms, integrating sensors, and testing hardware to achieve reliable performance.

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 solid background in aerospace engineering, control systems, and applied mathematics, usually backed by a relevant degree. Familiarity with simulation tools like MATLAB/Simulink, programming languages such as C++ or Python, and experience with embedded systems or flight software is typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication abilities help you excel in collaborative, multidisciplinary environments. These skills are crucial for designing reliable guidance and control systems that ensure the safety, accuracy, and performance of aerospace vehicles.

What is the difference between Guidance Navigation Control vs Guidance Navigation Control?

AspectGuidance Navigation ControlGuidance Navigation Control
Required CertificationsOften requires aerospace or engineering certifications, such as FAA or industry-specific credentialsSame certifications typically needed, focusing on aerospace engineering credentials
Work EnvironmentPrimarily in aerospace, defense, or space industries, working on aircraft or spacecraft systemsSimilar environment, involving design, testing, and operation of navigation systems in aerospace projects
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by aerospace companies, defense contractors, and space agenciesSame industry usage, with focus on navigation system development and integration
Common Search & Comparison IntentOften compared with related roles like Guidance Navigation Control to clarify responsibilitiesSame comparison, emphasizing technical differences or overlaps

Guidance Navigation Control professionals focus on designing, testing, and maintaining navigation systems for aerospace applications. The role overlaps significantly with other aerospace engineering positions, making the comparison important for understanding specific responsibilities within the industry.

What are popular job titles related to Guidance Navigation Control jobs in California? For Guidance Navigation Control jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Guidance Navigation Control jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Guidance Navigation Control jobs in California are:
Guidance Navigation Control jobs near you
Infographic showing various Guidance Navigation Control job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 75% Full Time, 19% Part Time, 4% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution.

Guidance, Navigation, & Control Engineer (GNC)

Opto-Knowledge Systems Inc

Torrance, CA • On-site

$240K - $290K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 20 days ago

Job description

Description:

Position Overview

Our seeker and terminal guidance products are moving from demonstrated capability to fielded systems across long-range strike, loitering and guided munitions, counter-UAS, air-launched effects, and rockets and mortars. We need a senior engineer to own the estimation and guidance core of that stack: the tracker, the filters, the fusion, the guidance law, and the navigation solution that keeps working when GPS does not.


What You'll Do

Target Tracking, Estimation & Fusion

  • Design and implement multi-target tracking pipelines for static and moving targets: initiation, gating, data association, track maintenance, and re-acquisition after occlusion or dropout
  • Develop nonlinear estimators (EKF, UKF, IMM) for target state, relative geometry, and passive ranging solutions
  • Integrate multi-modal sensor fusion across EO, IR, and inertial sources; RF where the platform provides it
  • Own lock-on-after-launch (LOAL) logic: acquisition, track confirmation, and handoff into terminal guidance

Terminal Guidance & Seeker Algorithms

  • Build image-based ATD/ATR chains feeding closed-loop guidance: detection, classification, orientation and rate estimation, and vulnerability aimpoint selection
  • Develop and evaluate terminal guidance laws (proportional navigation and variants) against miss distance, seeker field-of-view, and control authority constraints
  • Harden endgame performance in real-world conditions: clutter, low contrast, obscuration, and high closing rates

GPS-Denied Navigation

  • Create visual-inertial navigation delivering drift-free, absolute positional awareness through midcourse and terminal phases without GPS or laser designators
  • Characterize, align, and calibrate INS/IMU systems on low-cost, SWaP-C-constrained inertial hardware
  • Implement georegistration, photogrammetry, and map-matching approaches that bound inertial drift; integrate with flight stacks (PX4, ArduPilot)

Real-Time Software

  • Write modern, object-oriented C++ implementations of all algorithms, running inside containerized guidance modules on embedded targets (NVIDIA, Qualcomm Snapdragon, FPGA) under hard SWaP-C and timing constraints
  • Prototype in Python or MATLAB, then carry it to flight-quality code yourself—there's no throwing it over the wall to a software team here

Simulation, Test & Analysis

  • Exercise algorithms in physics-based, photorealistic simulation environments (Unreal, Unity, CSG, AFSIM, FLITES, MODTRAN, DIRSIG)
  • Run Monte Carlo and hardware-in-the-loop campaigns to validate performance
  • Support captive-carry and live flight test; own the anomaly investigation when telemetry disagrees with the model

Technical Leadership

  • Set the algorithm architecture and mentor engineers implementing alongside you
  • Engage directly with customers and partners: technical interchanges, live demos, proposals, and SBIR/STTR white papers
  • At our size, the engineer who built it is the engineer who presents it
Requirements:
  • BS in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
  • 8+ years developing estimation, tracking, GNC, or seeker algorithms for aerospace or defense systems
  • Proven expertise in nonlinear estimation (EKF, UKF, IMM or equivalent)
  • Production experience with multi-target tracking, data association, and track management algorithms
  • Proficiency in real-time C++ for embedded systems
  • Experience with sensor fusion across multiple modalities (EO, IR, inertial, RF)
  • Demonstrated capability shipping algorithm code to hardware under SWaP-C constraints
Preferred
  • Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in relevant technical discipline
  • 10+ years in aerospace or defense guidance/navigation/control
  • Direct experience with terminal guidance law development and closed-loop control
  • Hands-on work with image-based detection, tracking, or target recognition (ATD/ATR chains)
  • GPS-denied or visual-inertial navigation system design and implementation
  • INS/IMU characterization, error modeling, and calibration on tactical-grade hardware
  • Flight test participation (captive-carry and live fire)
  • Proficiency in simulation tools (Unreal, Unity, AFSIM, MODTRAN, DIRSIG, or equivalent)
  • MATLAB/Simulink prototyping transitioning to production code
  • Customer-facing technical presentation and proposal experience
  • Familiarity with containerized deployment (Docker) and flight stacks (PX4, ArduPilot)
  • Background in proportional navigation or advanced guidance architectures
  • Experience with hardware-in-the-loop and Monte Carlo validation campaigns

Compensation and Benefits

  • Salary range: The range for this position is $240K–$290K. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budget allocated for this role.
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage fully paid by the employer for employees
  • Three weeks of vacation to start
  • Automatic company contribution to 401K – 5% of earned wages (no matching required)
  • Educational assistance and professional development opportunities
  • In-office (Jacksonville, AK or Los Angeles, CA ) or remote work (United States) available (position dependent)

We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in the application and hiring process.


The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R.


This employer participates in E-Verify.