Senior Camera Systems Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: San Francisco, California; hybrid work with 3 days per week in the San Francisco office

Salary: $182,900–$228,600 USD annually

Company

hirify.global designs, builds, and operates a large constellation of imaging satellites and delivers satellite imagery through a cloud-based data platform for commercial, environmental, and humanitarian applications.

What you will do

• Architect next-generation satellite camera modules and translate mission-level remote sensing requirements into verifiable subsystem specifications.
• Lead requirements flowdown, cross-functional trade studies, and technical decisions across electrical, mechanical, thermal, optical, and flight software teams.
• Manage technical relationships with image sensor foundries and camera component vendors, including statements of work, milestones, and design reviews.
• Define and maintain interface control documents connecting the camera module with serialization, image signal processing, and spacecraft payload systems.
• Own camera verification matrices, environmental qualification plans, and electro-optical calibration activities covering vacuum, thermal, vibration, and imaging performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in systems, electrical, optical, aerospace engineering, physics, or a related field.
• 10+ years of engineering experience, including 5+ years in systems engineering or technical leadership for digital cameras or electro-optical imaging systems.
• Experience with requirements traceability and flowdown across electrical, mechanical, and optical interfaces.
• Experience managing external vendors, foundries, or contract manufacturers for camera components or custom sensors.
• Deep understanding of CMOS image sensor architecture, radiometry, and camera performance budgets, including noise, stray light, and MTF.
• Ability to access applicable export-controlled information without requiring additional export licensing.

Nice to have

• Experience developing camera hardware or imaging instruments for low Earth orbit.
• Knowledge of radiation mitigation, outgassing, vacuum-compatible design, and aerospace qualification standards.
• Familiarity with hardware-level image processing, high-speed serialization protocols, and ground-station image calibration.

Culture & Benefits

• People-centric culture focused on belonging, collaboration, and humanitarian applications of satellite data.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans, plus a company-supported health savings account.
• Paid time off, holidays, company-wide days off, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Wellness and employee assistance programs, home-office and phone/internet reimbursements, and commuter benefits for local office employees.
• Tuition reimbursement, LinkedIn Learning access, equity, and paid volunteering time off.

Hiring process

• Select interviews may be recorded with candidate consent using an AI notetaker; opting out does not affect candidacy.
• AI tools are prohibited during live interviews and active assessments unless explicitly authorized or required as an accommodation.