Senior Director of Spacecraft Structure & Mission Hardware (Space Systems)

Location: Hybrid in San Jose, California, with on-site work required three days per week.

Salary: $233,000–$262,000 per year, plus equity and benefits.

Company

hirify.global designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations and provides integrated space systems for mission-critical Earth intelligence data.

What you will do

• Lead the Bus Structure and Missions team through rapid growth and oversee mechanical, thermal, structural, and electrical engineering functions.
• Architect, design, analyze, qualify, and implement spacecraft bus platforms for diverse customer missions.
• Collaborate with Product, Business Development, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Operations, Mission Management, and customers to define mission and instrument requirements.
• Own spacecraft structural and thermal analysis, bus-level testing strategies, and mission-specific hardware-in-the-loop testbeds.
• Design and maintain mechanical and electrical ground support equipment for spacecraft platform production.
• Support mission proposals, cost models, feasibility assessments, milestone delivery, and scalable manager development.

Requirements

• 15+ years designing or managing complex, high-reliability systems operating in harsh environments, such as spacecraft, autonomous vehicles, or drones.
• 8+ years managing engineers and engineering managers.
• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience managing complex engineering programs from concept to deployment, including budget and schedule management.
• Strong technical understanding of mechanical and electrical design and analysis.
• Must meet applicable U.S. export-control eligibility requirements for access to ITAR/EAR-controlled information.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time employment with equity compensation.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan, disability coverage, and life insurance.
• Three weeks of paid vacation for new employees, 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time, and paid parental leave.
• Fast-paced environment focused on spacecraft manufacturing and flexible payload integration at scale.