Performance engineer Jobs in Thornton, CO

The Mission Space is the bleeding edge for humanity's next industrial revolution.

While reusable rockets have opened the door, true economic transformation requires infrastructure that makes orbit as accessible and reliable as air travel.

At Lux Aeterna, we're building that future by developing the first reusable satellite platform with controlled return capability - transforming space from a one-way street into a two-way highway for innovation and commerce.

The Opportunity We’re seeking an experienced GNC Engineer to design, implement, and validate the flight-critical guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) software that flies our reusable spacecraft platforms.

This is a hands-on role where your work directly shapes vehicle behavior from early simulation trades through flight operations and post-flight analysis.

This is a unique opportunity to:

• Develop and fly production GNC software for a novel, reusable spacecraft platform Build and maintain mission tools for flight dynamics, orbit determination, and ground scheduling Design and evolve high-fidelity Monte Carlo simulation for end-to-end mission validation Reduce ground test data and flight telemetry to close the loop on performance Participate directly in mission execution with meaningful operational ownership Why Lux Aeterna?

Pioneering Technology:

• We're developing the first reusable satellite platform with controlled return capability, fundamentally transforming space from a one-way journey to a two-way trade route Real Impact: Your work will enable new industries in space manufacturing, research, and logistics while pioneering sustainable space infrastructure Speed & Autonomy: We maintain parallel hardware development streams and empower engineers to innovate rapidly while upholding rigorous aerospace standards World-Class Team: Work alongside experts from leading aerospace companies and research institutions, building technology that will reshape humanity's access to space The Role As a member of the Lux Aeterna Space GNC team, you will own flight GNC software development and validation across the Delphi mission lifecycle.
• Design, implement, and validate the guidance, navigation, and control software that flies on the Delphi platform Develop flight GNC software for a novel, reusable spacecraft platform Build and maintain ground tools for flight dynamics, orbit determination, and ground station scheduling Work directly with subsystem optimization from a GNC perspective to optimize overall vehicle mission performance.
• Design and evolve high-fidelity 6-DoF Monte Carlo simulation to validate GNC performance and end-to-end mission success Reduce ground test data and flight telemetry to characterize performance, refine models, and improve flight software Support spacecraft operations and participate directly in mission execution Work across design, test, flight, and operations — owning outcomes rather than a narrow subsystem slice Required Qualifications B.S. in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience) At least 8 years' experience in GNC system development in aerospace vehicle applications Hands-on contribution to a GNC subsystem on at least one flight-proven vehicle (e.g., reentry vehicles, satellites, launch vehicles, missiles, or high Mach vehicles) Experience developing production-ready C++ in a continuous integration environment Experience with data analysis using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools Experience developing or working with 6-DoF Monte Carlo simulations Desired Experience Experience with hypersonic vehicles or space satellite systems Proficiency in Rocket Lab MAX Flight Software Experience modeling and controlling aerodynamic control effectors Proficiency in Rust for flight or embedded software Experience modeling multi-body dynamics Location & Work We are based in Denver, CO and believe in the power of in-person collaboration.
• We are onsite 5 days/week by default, but flexible when life requires it.
• Certain roles may involve access to export-controlled technical data.
• To comply with U.S. export-control laws, access may be limited to individuals who qualify as a “U.S. person” under 22 C.F.R. §120.62 or who otherwise may lawfully receive such access.
• Powered by JazzHR