Avionics Design Reliability Engineer (All Levels)

Astrolab; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 196,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity ownership

Comprehensive health benefits

401(k) plan with match

Flexible PTO and parental leave

Home office set up reimbursement

Weekly lunch stipend

Job summary

Astrolab, The Lunar Operations Company, seeks an Avionics Design Reliability Engineer in Hawthorne, CA. You will ensure CLV-1’s avionics, RF, and power systems survive missions, collaborating across disciplines to embed reliability into the design and mitigate failures before they arise.

You will lead FMEA, architect design standards, and own risk reviews, translating technical risk into clear decisions while building robust verification approaches and guidelines for new hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field is required.
• 5+ years designing/analyzing hardware for high-reliability systems (space/aviation).
• Experience with reliability methods: FMEA, accelerated testing, Weibull analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead FMEA for avionics, RF, and power systems.
• Architect and document design standards and test methodologies.
• Own change and risk reviews; translate risk into actionable decisions.
• Develop reliability limits, margins, and verification approaches for hardware.
• Mentor engineers on reliability methods and analysis techniques.

Skills

Reliability engineering

FMEA

Weibull analysis

DFX / Design for Excellence

Physics of Failure

Derating practices

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline

Job description

Compensation: $137,000 - $196,000 / year

Compensation: $137,000 - $196,000 / year

Department

Chief Engineering

Location

Hawthorne, California

Description

Astrolab is The Lunar Operations Company. We design and build the systems and hardware the lunar economy will come to depend on — rovers, power, and data networks for sustained operations on the Moon. We are focused on the problems that must be solved before the next chapter of human exploration can scale. The Moon does not forgive untested assumptions. The people who work here know that, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

CLV-1 is the first human-capable lunar rover since 1972. It will carry Artemis IV astronauts across the lunar South Pole, one of the harshest environments humans have ever worked in. There is no service center. It must work. As an Avionics Design Reliability Engineer, you will ensure CLV-1's avionics, RF, and power systems survive the mission. You will work across disciplines to build reliability into the design itself, identifying and mitigating failures before they arise.

What you’ll do:

• Lead FMEA for avionics, RF, and power systems, and drive design changes that prevent failures before they happen
• Architect Astrolab's avionics design standards and test methodologies
• Champion the Astrolab design process and set design criteria, requirements, and verification approaches for new hardware
• Own change and risk reviews, translating technical risk and impact into decisions the team can act on
• become the person the organization trusts to translate technical risk into clear, confident decisions
• Build the processes that ensure designs meet standards, reviews are comprehensive, changes are implemented, and risks are mitigated
• Flow reliability requirements down to hardware: margins, screening levels, derating guidelines
• Develop specialized analysis tools, review templates, reliability checklists, and design guides
• Mentor engineers on reliability methods and analysis techniques
• Capture lessons learned and drive continuous improvements to strengthen standards and processes

What you’ll bring:

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline
• 5+ years of experience designing and analyzing hardware for space, automotive, or other high-reliability systems
• Experience designing, integrating, testing, or operating space vehicles or other large, complex systems

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in design reliability for spacecraft, launch vehicles, aircraft, robotics, or other complex hardware
• Experience with EEE parts, PCBAs, avionics units, RF components, and wire harnesses
• Experience applying derating practices, Sneak Circuit Analysis, Worst-Case Circuit Analysis, Design for Excellence (DFX), and requirements flow-down
• Experience applying reliability engineering methods, including FMEA, accelerated testing, and Weibull analysis
• Experience creating engineering standards, review templates, or technical guidance frameworks
• Experience with manufacturing processes, materials selection, and hardware qualification pathways
• Experience applying Physics of Failure methodologies and identifying failure mechanisms in electronic hardware
• Experience with fracture control, human-rated hardware standards, or similar reliability frameworks

Benefits and Perks

• Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
• Equity ownership in the company
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible PTO and parental leave
• Home office set up reimbursement
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
• Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks