System Engineer

Space Systems Lead - Hybrid | San Francisco / Phoenix - Optical Communications

We’re supporting an early-stage space technology company developing high-bandwidth optical communications systems for missions spanning Earth orbit and beyond.

They’re hiring a Space Systems Lead to take technical ownership across their space segment - including flight terminals, avionics and the interfaces connecting the payload to the wider spacecraft.

This isn't a systems role where you'll spend your entire week maintaining requirements documents. They need someone who understands the discipline of space systems engineering but is equally comfortable getting close to real flight hardware.

Key Responsibilities

• Own architecture across optical terminals, avionics, structures, thermal, power and spacecraft interfaces.
• Develop and flow down requirements from mission level into subsystem and component specifications.
• Own major design reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR and TRR.
• Lead verification and validation planning and execution.
• Support environmental qualification across vibration, shock, TVAC, EMC and radiation.
• Manage technical interfaces with spacecraft/bus providers, launch partners and hosted payload partners.
• Develop and manage ICDs.
• Support EEE parts selection, radiation assurance and technical risk management.
• Lead assembly, integration and test campaigns.
• Support launch operations, on-orbit commissioning and anomaly resolution.

Key Requirements

• BS/MS in Aerospace, Electrical, Optical Engineering, Physics or a related discipline.
• Hands-on experience developing real flight or flight-like hardware.
• Strong understanding of spacecraft/system architecture.
• Experience with requirements, V&V and system-level engineering budgets.
• Exposure to environmental qualification and AIT.
• Understanding of radiation environments and their impact on spacecraft hardware.
• Ability to independently own complex technical problems.
• Experience delivering spacecraft, payloads or major space subsystems through a complete development lifecycle is highly desirable.
• Optical payload, laser communications or precision pointing experience would be particularly relevant.
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR.

This is an opportunity to join a small space hardware team where you'll have genuine influence over the architecture and delivery of flight systems.

Ideal for someone who has experienced the full reality of spacecraft development - designing it, integrating it, testing it, finding the problems and getting it ready to fly.

I look forward to hearing from you!☺