Space Vehicle Systems Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: Los Angeles, with in-person collaboration at the Playa Vista office

Salary: $120,000–$165,000 annual base salary, plus equity

Company

Develops and manufactures satellite buses at scale through vertically integrated software and hardware designed for manufacturing, supporting earth observation, communications, and national security missions.

What you will do

• Define spacecraft-level architecture and manage requirements derived from mission objectives across the full lifecycle.
• Lead system-level trade studies, risk analyses, simulations, and technical budget decisions.
• Develop and maintain specifications, Interface Control Documents, and other system documentation.
• Coordinate electrical, mechanical, thermal, propulsion, communications, and software subsystem integration.
• Analyze test and integration data, isolate anomalies, and drive resolution with verification teams.
• Support SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, customer reviews, program milestones, and technical communication with government customers and payload partners.

Requirements

• Active Top Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance required, with the ability to obtain and maintain additional program access.
• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, electrical, or mechanical engineering, physics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of systems engineering experience, preferably in spacecraft, aerospace, or defense hardware development.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering principles, requirements management, and verification and validation.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft subsystems and their interdependencies, including attitude control, power, thermal, propulsion, communications, and command and data handling.
• Experience with requirements and systems engineering tools such as DOORS, Jira, and SysML, plus strong analytical and communication skills.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in a relevant engineering or physics discipline.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, STK, GMAT, or FreeFlyer for mission analysis or modeling.
• Familiarity with CCSDS, S-band, and X-band communications standards.
• Experience supporting government customers, prime contractors, or DoD program reviews.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity participation and a fast-growing startup environment with more than $500M in funding.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, plus life insurance.
• Paid time off starting at 15 vacation days, increasing to 20+ days annually, and 10 paid holidays.
• 401(k) plan with employer matching and eight weeks of paid parental leave.
• Childcare reimbursement for work-related travel, catered lunch, snacks, office events, and an in-person collaborative workplace.