Ancil Marshall
Guidance Navigation and Controls (GNC) Group Manager
Guidance Navigation and Controls
Aircraft, Spacecraft, Orbital Dynamics
Modeling and Simulation
50 years old
Spring Hill (34609) United States (Florida)
Entrepreneur
Open to opportunities
As a former Guidance, Navigation and Controls (GNC) Group Manager, I led a talented and dynamic team of engineers to deliver innovative aircrafts. I am currently on sabbatical in Europe and the UK, where I am exploring new opportunities in Global Leadership, Management, Finance, and Sustainability.
Possesses over twenty years of Aerospace Engineering, Software and Management experience specializing in aircraft, missiles, rockets, satellites, commercial drones, autopilots for commercial airplanes and autonomy. Expert in a wide-range of GNC responsibilities such as modeling, design, analysis, simulation, integration and flight tests.
Registered Remote Pilot (Drones) in USA, UK, France, Switzerland. Pilots consumer video and FPV drones.
Possesses over twenty years of Aerospace Engineering, Software and Management experience specializing in aircraft, missiles, rockets, satellites, commercial drones, autopilots for commercial airplanes and autonomy. Expert in a wide-range of GNC responsibilities such as modeling, design, analysis, simulation, integration and flight tests.
Registered Remote Pilot (Drones) in USA, UK, France, Switzerland. Pilots consumer video and FPV drones.
Guidance Navigation and Controls Manager
Aurora Flight Sciences
June 2019
to February 2025
Boston, MA
- GNC Group Manager of a group of 20 engineers on novel, autonomous aircrafts. Drove strategy and technical roadmaps, team assignments, training and career development. Led initiative, with a small team, to build a quadcopter experimental test platform.
- As GNC Group Manager, built relationships with other department heads at Aurora and Boeing, to increase my team’s visibility, find new assignments and resources, even during times of budget constraints.
- GNC Lead for a Boeing 777X autonomy project. Managed a small team of GNC and Software Engineers to develop autonomous flight controls to aviate the 777X.
- Designed SISO and LQR controllers, as well as guidance algorithms for the 777X using Model Based Design. Applied DO178C and DO331 standards. Auto-generated and implemented code into 777X nonlinear desktop and cab simulator.
- Performed 777X GNC controller architecture designs using Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) techniques to meet operational and safety requirements.
- Led customer interactions on the 777X project (e.g., demos, on-site meetings). Managed project milestones, schedule and agile sprints.
- Led GNC Engineer for Centaur - an autonomous, optionally-piloted, twin-engine airplane for ISR operations.
- On Centaur, worked with multi-disciplinary team to plan flight tests, post-process flight data and resolve flight anomalies.
- Worked with Centaur Chief Engineer to define requirements and statement of work for the vendor-supplied GNC controllers and guidance algorithms.
- Lead GNC Engineer for an Urban Air Mobility eVTOL project. Led team during preliminary studies, derived nonlinear hover equations, designed LQR controller and performed rotor failure study.
Guidance Navigation and Controls Engineer
Parrot
November 2017
to May 2019
Paris
France
- Researcher and developer of guidance algorithms for Parrot's Drones.
- Implemented novel guidance algorithms on the Anafi drone.
Software Engineer - iOS
Bioserenity
November 2015
to July 2017
Paris
France
- Software Lead of the iOS mobile application for the Neuronaute - a wearable connected medical device to detect epilepsy.
- Implemented new functions using existing application architecture and libraries (BLE, TCP/IP, database, GUIs).
- Improved stability of TCP/IP connection and debugged race-condition. Developed real time graphics library. Reduced CPU usage by 50%.
Senior Guidance Navigation and Controls Engineer
Orbital ATK (Northrop Grumman)
April 2005
to July 2013
Chandler, AZ
- GNC Engineer on GQM-163A missile. Managed linear analysis tools, conducted nonlinear 6DOF simulations in C++, performed vehicle integration tests, investigated flight anomalies and recommended software fixes.
- Lead GNC Engineer for High Diver variant of GQM-163A. Performed GNC design from the initial concept to the eventual launch.
- Lead GNC Engineer on FFMS variant of GQM-163A. Traveled to Ile du Levant, France to perform launch operations.
- Parameterized GQM's time-scheduled flight gains to a Mach and mass-based adaptive algorithm.
- Developed various guidance algorithms for the High Diver variant of GQM to improve its performance and robustness.
- Created Simulink model of the High Diver gas generator, which successfully matched motor tests.
- Worked with aerodynamics group to simplify a 5D High Diver model into a 2D model in order to embed the reduced model in flight software.
- Performed independent reviews of the Minotaur I, Pegasus and Antares rockets, the Orbital Boost Vehicle, and the Patriot Target Vehicle.
- Lead GNC Engineer for Zombie Pathfinder program, a single-stage and a two-stage ballistic missile for NASA's Sounding Rocket Program. Performed initial design trades, improved 6DOF nonlinear simulations.
- Mentored other engineers in GNC and C/C++ 6DOF simulation. Taught GNC course to a group of forty engineers.
Skills
Aerospace Engineering
-
Classical, Robust, Nonlinear Control Theory
Advanced
-
Aircraft, Missile and Spacecraft Dynamics
Advanced
-
Guidance Algorithms Design and Analysis
Advanced
-
Navigation, Kalman Filtering, and Sensor Fusion
Good
Spoken Languages
-
English (native speaker)
Expert
-
French (professional)
Level C1, Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne, niveau supérieurAdvanced
- History, Politics, Economics, Finance, Public Policy, Sustainability, Management, Leadership
- Consumer Video and FPV Drones.
- FAA Certified Remote Pilot (USA),
- Remote Pilot (UK, Switzerland, France)
- Recently visited: France, England, Scotland, Albania, Netherlands, Switzerland
- Kizomba Dancing, Travel, Fitness