Principal GNC & Trajectory Engineer

Responsibilities

• Support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Directorate for Test (DT) Targets program office with development of missile defense target vehicles
• Support the Targets System Engineering team in target design, analysis, and test including requirements development, modeling, and simulation
• Utilize knowledge of missile characteristics to support engineering activities and data product development
• Generate and analyze target vehicle 6-DoF and 3-DoF trajectory data using industry standard and in-house tools
• Support flight test analysis and reporting, including analyzing vehicle onboard instrumentation data and generating trajectory reconstruction
• Collaborate with experts to develop analysis and engineering tools

Requirements

• Master's degree in a STEM field (Physics, Engineering, Math) or Bachelor's with 7+ years of relevant experience
• 12+ years of experience working on missile defense-related or DoD programs
• Active DoD Secret security clearance (US Citizenship required)
• Strong understanding of aerodynamics, equations of motion, coordinate systems, and vehicle dynamics
• Experience with missile trajectory analysis, including endo- and exo-atmospheric behaviors
• Knowledge of satellite orbital mechanics, ephemeris, and orbit propagation
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, Java, C#, and other programming languages
• Skilled in modeling and simulation tools such as TAOS or STK

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with MDA and/or DoD programs and processes
• Experience in Design, CAD, Trajectory, Radar Cross Section (RCS) Signatures, or Optical Signatures
• Ability to communicate detailed technical information to both technical and non-technical personnel

About the Company

APEX TK provides technical and advisory assistance to defense agencies, specializing in target trajectories and flight test validation for missile defense systems.