Avionics Engineer (All Levels)

Department: Avionics

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Hawthorne, CA, Hawthorne, California, Hybrid

What you'll do:

• Unit Ownership: Serve as Responsible Engineer for avionics units across applications including Command & Data Handling, Guidance Navigation & Control, power, motor control, and communication systems, from concept through build, qualification, flight integration, and operations
• Make/Buy & Component Selection: Lead make/buy trades for avionics units. Identify, evaluate, and qualify COTS components against mission requirements, including radiation, thermal, and reliability considerations for the lunar environment
• Vendor Management: Work with external vendors to specify, develop, and deliver custom avionics products. Define requirements and interface control documents, review vendor designs, and drive delivery schedules and technical issues to closure
• Design & Development: Design in-house avionics hardware where it is the right answer, including component selection, design analysis, schematic capture, circuit board design, board bring-up, debugging, and design documentation
• Analysis & Trades: Conduct system-level trades, power efficiency and signal integrity analysis, worst-case analysis, and FMECA to ensure avionics units are robust, fault-tolerant, and meet mission requirements
• Qualification & Test: Develop and execute test campaigns to qualify units for spaceflight, bringing components through vibration, shock, TVAC, EMI/EMC, and radiation testing. Partner with test engineers on test plans and coverage
• Integration: Interface with mechanical, software, manufacturing, and test engineers to ensure seamless subsystem integration, and support vehicle-level integration, troubleshooting, and failure investigations

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) related field
• 1+ years of experience in avionics component design, spacecraft systems design, or electronics integration and test 
• Experience with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, function generators, and logic analyzers 

• Experience evaluating, selecting, and qualifying COTS electronics for space or other harsh environments, including screening, up-rating, and lot acceptance approaches 
• Experience managing external vendors or suppliers through custom hardware development, including requirements definition, ICDs, design reviews, and acceptance 
• Experience with digital communication protocols including RS-422, RS-485, SPI, I2C, CAN, or Ethernet 
• Experience with power systems design for spacecraft, including LDO regulators, buck/boost converters, battery systems, and grounding schemes for high-voltage systems 
• Experience with FPGA and MCU embedded systems design. Motor controller experience is a plus. 
• Experience with analysis and design tools such as LTspice, MATLAB, Python, Altium, E3, or Siemens NX 
• Experience with radiation effects and mitigation strategies, EEE-INST-002 parts classification and derating, and failure modes of spaceflight electrical components 
• Experience with SMC-S-016, MIL-STD-810, or other environmental testing standards, including shock, thermal, burn-in, TVAC, vibration, and EMI/EMC testing 
• For senior and staff levels: experience owning avionics units end-to-end as a Responsible Engineer, leading make/buy decisions, and mentoring engineers through design and qualification campaigns 

Benefits and Perks

• Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
• Equity ownership in the company
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible PTO and parental leave
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
• Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks