Avionics Engineer
Location: Hawthorne, CA (Los Angeles Area) | Onsite
About the Opportunity
A stealth-mode, venture-backed space technology startup in the Los Angeles area is developing a groundbreaking solution to extend the power of solar energy after sunset. With recent Series A funding from top-tier investors, this ~20-person engineering team is preparing for its inaugural orbital launch in 2026. Led by accomplished aerospace hardware experts, the team is focused on building a constellation of space-based reflectors to deliver sunlight back to Earth at night.
Why Join?
- Contribute to a pioneering mission with the potential for global impact on energy and sustainability.
- Take full ownership of avionics system design for a new generation of space vehicles.
- Work alongside a world-class, multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced, high-autonomy environment.
- Be part of a culture that values speed, ingenuity, and real results.
Role Overview
As an Avionics Engineer, you will own the design, development, and validation of electronic subsystems for the first spacecraft. This is a zero-to-one opportunity: you’ll be responsible for prototyping, building, testing, and improving reliable, space-ready avionics hardware. Your work will directly impact the success of the mission and the future scalability of the platform.
Key Responsibilities
- Own system-level avionics design and interface definition; make system-level trades to optimize performance and reliability.
- Prototype, design, bring up, and validate flight computers, communications systems, electronics for power systems, and attitude determination and control systems (ADCS).
- Establish best practices and select tooling for electrical engineering design and documentation.
- Develop in-house avionics test infrastructure (e.g., flatsat, GPS simulation, power simulation, communications simulation).
- Design and execute qualification tests for vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum environments; own your hardware through to flight operations.
- Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless integration and mission success.
- Rapidly iterate on requirements and architecture to achieve optimal designs in a highly constrained trade space.
Ideal Qualifications
- Strong experience designing and validating PCBAs for space or similarly high-performance, high-reliability environments (e.g., spacecraft, satellites, high-end robotics, aerospace vehicles).
- Ownership of multiple electronics subsystems from concept through deployment.
- Ability to thrive with high autonomy, taking initiative and driving designs to completion.
- Skilled at troubleshooting, debugging, and optimizing complex electronics systems.
- Experience developing and executing rigorous qualification and environmental testing protocols.
- Comfortable iterating on requirements and architecture to achieve robust, elegant solutions.
Bonus Points For
- Experience with rapid prototyping in early-stage hardware teams.
- Prior work in start-ups or fast-moving, multidisciplinary engineering environments.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field is required.
- A Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant discipline is a strong plus.
- Equivalent hands-on experience designing, prototyping, and validating avionics or electronics systems for spacecraft, satellites, robotics, or other high-reliability platforms may be considered in lieu of a formal degree for exceptional candidates.
Compensation
- Level 1$90K – $110K • Offers Equity
- Level 2$100K – $125K • Offers Equity
- Level 3$130K – $160K • Offers Equity
- Level 4$150K – $185K • Offers Equity
- Level 5$165K – $205K • Offers Equity