The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Space and Strategic Navigation Engineer

Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace or Electrical Engineering required; Master's or PhD preferred.
  • 3-5 years of experience in Software Engineering or related fields.
  • Proficiency with MATLAB, Simulink, Python, and C/C++ required.
  • Foundational knowledge of guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) technology.
  • Experience with real-time software development and control systems theory.

Responsibilities

  • Evaluate requirements and propose innovative solutions.
  • Design and implement advanced navigation algorithms.
  • Develop embedded software using prototype algorithms.
  • Analyze designs for performance validation.
  • Conduct software tests to ensure compliance with requirements.
  • Produce technical documentation and reports.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to clarify requirements.

Benefits

  • Promotes work-life balance with flexible work options.
  • Offers employee clubs and activities (e.g., yoga, photography).
  • Provides health and finance workshops.
  • Hosts off-site social events and cultural discounts.
Full Job Description
Job Description Summary:
The Space and Strategic Navigation Engineer 2 develops software for cutting-edge space and defense systems used by the US Government and commercial customers as well as internal R&D projects. A Navigation Algorithms Engineer develops, integrates, and deploys advanced navigation algorithms and software for systems able to operate in complex environments such as underwater, ground, air, and space.

Job Description:

Duties/Responsibilities
• Evaluates requirements, proposes solutions, explores design trades to support a design.
• Designs algorithms using modern theory and proven techniques.
• Develops embedded software based on prototype algorithms.
• Analyzes designs to demonstrate performance and functionality.
• Develops and executes software tests to check compliance with requirements.
• Evaluates results to establish problem causes and develop solutions for inefficient or problems.
• Prepares technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other required documentation.
• Communicates with customers and stakeholders to establish requirements and describe the design and deliverables.
• Contributes content for technical reports and presentations with appropriate guidance.
• Participates in tag-ups and informal meetings with group leads and colleagues.
• Derives task-level or component-level requirements from system requirements.
• Independently contributes high quality content for technical reports and presentations which shows an understanding of their task and an awareness of the intended audience.
• Tracks priorities, scope, schedule, and cost.
• Independently contributes high quality content for technical reports and presentations which shows an understanding of their task and an awareness of the intended audience.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills/Abilities
• Proficient in MATLAB, Simulink, Python, C/C++ or other related tools.
• Proficient in basic software development standards.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Foundational knowledge of autonomy, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) technology.
• Knowledge of real-time software development tools.
• Knowledge of project execution, designing, developing, and validating real-time algorithms and software.
• Strong background in control systems theory.
• Contributes content for technical reports and presentations with appropriate guidance.
• Written and verbal communication is clear and concise.
• Participates in tag-ups and informal meetings with group leads and colleagues.
• Derives task-level or component-level requirements from system requirements.
• Clearly communicates work assignments to team members.
• Tracks priorities, scope, schedule, and cost.

Education
• Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field is required.
• Masters or PhD in a related field is preferred.

Experience
3-5 years of Software Engineering or related experience is required.

Additional Job Description:

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance. Secret clearance is preferred.

Job Location - City:
Cambridge

Job Location - State:
Massachusetts

Job Location - Postal Code:


The US base salary range for this full-time position is
$75,000.00 - $156,000.00
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.

About The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Draper Laboratory is an American non-profit research and development organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts; its official name is The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The laboratory specializes in the design, development, and deployment of advanced technology solutions to problems in national security, space exploration, health care and energy. The laboratory was founded in 1932 by Charles Stark Draper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop aeronautical instrumentation, and came to be called the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. During this period the laboratory is best known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer, the first silicon integrated circuit based computer. It was renamed for its founder in 1970, and separated from MIT in 1973 to become an independent, non-profit organization. The expertise of the laboratory staff includes the areas of guidance, navigation, and control technologies and systems; fault-tolerant computing; advanced algorithms and software systems; modeling and simulation; and microelectromechanical systems and multichip module technology.
Learn more about The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

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