Senior Technical Program Manager I (Space Sensing)

Location: Long Beach, California, United States; based at hirify.global's global headquarters.

Base pay: $116,000–$160,000 USD per year for California-based candidates.

Company

hirify.global is an aerospace company building rockets, spacecraft, payloads, and critical space subsystems for commercial, civil, and national security missions.

What you will do

• Lead the lifecycle of EO/IR sensing payloads and optical systems from concept through qualification, scalable production, and flight.
• Own the technical roadmap and make strategic make-or-buy decisions.
• Run multiple programs and make architectural decisions with Chief Engineers, balancing pointing stability, jitter, sensitivity, and revisit requirements.
• Coordinate optics, electronics, software, and data-chain teams while removing technical and operational blockers.
• Manage strategic suppliers and high-stakes subcontracts to protect schedule and program margin.
• Engage U.S. Government tracking, warning, and surveillance customers and support proposals with Business Development and Strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, mathematics, science, or another technical discipline.
• At least 5 years of program management experience and a record of owning technical programs, products, or teams end to end.
• Experience moving hardware and software from prototype toward scalable, flight-ready production.
• Understanding of EO/IR sensing, optical payloads, or focal plane arrays.
• Experience identifying and mitigating technical, schedule, and supply-chain risks.
• Active TS/SCI clearance and eligibility to work with U.S. Government-regulated space technology are required.

Nice to have

• Experience transitioning low-volume prototypes into reliable, scalable production.
• National Security Space or large sensing and tracking constellation experience.
• Experience capturing, negotiating, and executing large U.S. Government contracts.
• Master’s degree in engineering, optics, or a related field.
• Experience with systems engineering, trade studies, interface control, requirements integrity, Jira, Confluence, and ERP.

Culture & Benefits

• Company stock and an Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, including HMO, PPO, and a zero-cost HDHP option with an HSA contribution.
• Paid vacation, sick time, holidays, parental leave, disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) with company match.
• Onsite fitness centers where available, subsidized EV charging, gym discounts, snacks and beverages, and employee discounts.
• Fast-paced environment focused on innovation, teamwork, tight deadlines, and delivering complex space missions.