Director of GNC

Job description

- Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch services, and one of the industry’s leading flight-proven electric propulsion systems for satellites, the Astra Spacecraft Engine. The Opportunity: As Director of GNC , you will own and build the Guidance, Navigation, and Control function at Astra. This is not a maintenance role — you will establish the team, the technical roadmap, and the culture from the ground up. You'll have end-to-end ownership of the algorithms, simulations, and infrastructure that guide our vehicles from liftoff through orbital insertion. This is a hands-on technical leadership role. You will be writing algorithms, building simulations, and debugging hardware-in-the-loop test results — not managing from a distance. At Astra's scale, the Director of GNC is the lead engineer and the team builder. You'll carry technical work while recruiting and developing the team around you. This role reports to the Head of Launch and works at the intersection of GNC, flight software, avionics, and propulsion. You will shape how we develop, t...