GNC Architect – Guidance, Navigation & Control Lead

About the role

At ClearSpace, the GNC Architect will be a key member of the London team, leading the development of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control architecture for a mission focused on sustainable space operations.

Key responsibilities

• Define the GNC architecture and subsystem requirements for the mission, ensuring alignment with overall system goals.
• Develop the GNC simulator, create detailed test specifications, and lead the verification and validation activities.
• Manage and mentor the GNC engineering team, coordinating tasks and tracking progress throughout the project lifecycle.
• Identify technical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and maintain risk registers for the GNC subsystem.
• Collaborate closely with the System Architect, Robotic System Architect and program management to integrate GNC solutions across disciplines.

Required profile

• Minimum 10 years of experience in Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS) or Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) design for spacecraft.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing fault‑tolerant GNC algorithms and software architectures for mission‑critical applications.
• In‑depth knowledge of rendezvous operations, pose‑estimation sensors, and satellite trajectory analysis, including safety ellipses and collision avoidance.

Required skills

• Design and implementation of GNC algorithms such as navigation filters, guidance strategies, and control loops.
• Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink and Python for modelling, simulation, and analysis of aerospace systems.
• Strong programming skills in C and C++ for real‑time embedded software development.
• Experience with hardware integration, test campaigns, and validation of GNC subsystems on spacecraft.