Electrical Hardware Engineer (Spacecraft Power & Laser Systems)

Quick Facts

• Role: Electrical Hardware Engineer (Spacecraft Power & Laser Systems)

• Focus: End-to-end ownership of laser driver electronics, high-discharge batteries, and power/control hardware for a flight spacecraft

• Work style: Team-of-one with hands-on board design, build, wiring, and test; cross-functional integration with mechanical, optics, and software

Description

Own the electrical architecture for the laser payload and supporting spacecraft systems from concept through build, test, and flight integration. Design space-rated laser driver electronics for reliable high peak power, develop battery packs and battery management, and create power distribution and protection for high-power loads. Build, bring-up, and debug board-level and system-level hardware, then run functional and environmental tests (including thermal vacuum, vibration, and EMI) to resolve issues.

Responsibilities

• Own the electrical architecture for the laser payload and supporting systems end to end

• Design laser driver electronics for high peak power reliability

• Develop high-discharge battery systems (cell selection, pack design, BMS)

• Design power distribution units: switching, protection, and harnessing for high-power loads

• Build actuator drive and control boards for pointing mechanisms and moving hardware

• Move designs from schematic/PCB layout through assembly, bring-up, and board/system debug

• Collaborate with mechanical engineers on packaging, thermal paths, connectors, and cable routing

• Plan and execute functional, thermal vacuum, vibration, and EMI testing; fix failures

• Select and screen components for radiation, thermal, and outgassing performance

• Interface payload electronics with flight computers, sensors, and the spacecraft bus

• Document designs, test results, and interfaces for a growing team

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field

• 5+ years of hands-on electrical hardware design, build, and test

• Proven record taking complex electrical systems with multiple subsystems from concept through build and test

• Strong power electronics fundamentals across conversion, distribution, protection, and energy storage

• Board-level design in Altium or an equivalent EDA tool; hands-on assembly, soldering, and rework

• Comfortable working from the board level up to finished physical hardware alongside mechanical engineers

• Experience designing for extreme environments (space, underwater, oil and gas, high vibration, or extreme temperatures)

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident; willing to obtain a security clearance

Benefits

• Own the entire electrical system as the founding electrical engineer

• Build hardware for the first high-energy laser to operate in space

• No-cost medical, dental, and vision coverage; subsidized family coverage

• Meaningful early-stage equity

• Work alongside founders who have designed, built, and launched complex space hardware

• Relocation support if company locations evolve as the company grows

• Compensation: $200,000–$250,000 + equity