Lead Instrumentation Engineer (Aerospace)

TL;DR

Lead Instrumentation Engineer (Aerospace): Developing atmospheric sensing hardware and cloud-particle imaging instruments for UAS with an accent on hardware architecture, calibration, and flight integration. Focus on translating scientific requirements into operational instruments capable of surviving flight and producing calibrated in-cloud data.

Location: On-site in El Segundo, CA. Relocation assistance provided.

Company

hirify.global is pioneering a modern cloud-seeding system to increase precipitation and address severe-weather challenges using atmospheric science and UAS.

What you will do

• Own the end-to-end delivery of atmospheric sensing instruments from scientific requirements to production.
• Design and deliver a new airborne cloud-particle imaging instrument for UAS integration.
• Manage technical tradeoffs across optics, mechanics, electronics, power, and thermal behavior.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary work involving embedded systems, data acquisition, and atmospheric science.
• Establish calibration and validation campaigns against commercial reference instrumentation.
• Define the long-term atmospheric-instrumentation roadmap to improve weather forecasting and targeting.

Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Optical, or Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or equivalent experience.
• Proven track record of delivering complex sensing or scientific hardware from ambiguous requirements.
• Hands-on expertise in integrating optics, mechanics, electronics, and embedded control.
• Experience setting performance budgets and verification plans for multidisciplinary hardware.
• Ability to design hardware for extreme environments (thermal, vibration, contamination).
• Must be based in or be able to relocate to El Segundo, CA.

Nice to have

• Experience with digital holography, high-speed imaging, lidar, or radar.
• Familiarity with cloud microphysics and atmospheric measurements.
• Proficiency with scientific Python and data acquisition pipelines.
• Experience managing specialized vendors or contract manufacturers.

Culture & Benefits

• Significant stock options in an early-stage company.
• 401(k) with employer matching and full health coverage (medical, dental, vision).
• Unlimited PTO and paid parental leave for both parents.
• On-site perks including provided lunch, stocked kitchenette, and free EV charging.
• Relocation assistance available.