Radiation Effects Engineer - Modeling (Space Radiation)

Location: San Francisco, United States

Base salary: $120,000–$145,000 USD per year

Company

hirify.global designs, builds, and operates smaller, lower-cost geostationary telecommunications satellites for commercial, government, and military customers.

What you will do

• Own analytical models of GEO radiation environments, including trapped particles, solar proton fluences, and galactic cosmic rays.
• Run 3D Monte Carlo and sector-analysis radiation transport simulations with FASTRAD using complex spacecraft CAD assemblies.
• Lead spacecraft surface and internal charging studies to reduce electrostatic discharge risks.
• Develop and maintain Python pipelines for processing, analyzing, and visualizing transport simulation datasets.
• Translate simulation results into guidance for shielding allocation, material selection, and electrical grounding architectures.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or an equivalent field.
• At least 2 years of industry experience with radiation environment and transport tools such as OMERE, SPENVIS, FASTRAD, Geant4, or MCNP.
• Strong understanding of radiation interactions with matter, including ionization, non-ionizing energy loss, charge deposition, and secondary bremsstrahlung.
• Experience modeling spacecraft charging physics and electric-field buildup in dielectrics.
• Proficiency in Python for mathematical post-processing, data scraping, and modeling automation.
• U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or refugee/asylee status is required due to U.S. Government space technology export regulations.

Nice to have

• Master of Science or PhD in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, or an equivalent field with research focused on space radiation environments or spacecraft charging.
• Knowledge of deep dielectric charging failure mechanisms and mitigation approaches.
• Familiarity with ISO 11221 or MIL-STD-883 Test Method 1019.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity package through incentive stock options.
• Company-subsidized healthcare, disability insurance, and life insurance.
• 401(k) retirement planning and flexible PTO.
• Free on-site catered meals.
• Inclusive workplace focused on diverse perspectives.