Avionics Engineer, Flight Computer

Cowboy Space Corp.; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, vision insurance for員

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Daily lunch in the office

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Flight Computer Avionics Engineer in California to own the design, development, integration, and qualification of the spacecraft flight computer.

The role focuses on delivering reliable, radiation-tolerant avionics hardware that serves as the central computing platform for the spacecraft. This hands-on individual contributor position requires taking hardware from architecture through production, working with software, GNC, power, RF, thermal, and mechanical

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years developing complex digital hardware.
• Experience designing processor-based embedded systems.
• Strong schematic capture and board-level debugging experience.
• Experience with DDR memory, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, PCIe, SpaceWire, or similar interfaces.
• Familiarity with FPGA-based systems and embedded processors.
• Experience bringing hardware from prototype through production.
• Proficiency using tools such as Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, or equivalent.
• Strong lab debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, and related equipment.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design spacecraft flight computer hardware from concept through flight qualification.
• Own schematic capture, component selection, board bring-up, debugging, and verification.
• Design high-reliability digital electronics using modern processors, SoCs, FPGAs, memory, and high-speed interfaces.
• Develop fault-tolerant architectures including redundancy, watchdogs, fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR).
• Define interfaces between the flight computer and all spacecraft subsystems, including power, propulsion, GNC, payloads, communications, and telemetry.
• Lead board-level validation, hardware characterization, environmental testing, and design verification.
• Partner closely with embedded software and FPGA engineers to enable hardware/software integration.
• Support manufacturing, DFM/DFT reviews, supplier engagement, and production test development.
• Drive EMC/EMI compliance, signal integrity, power integrity, and reliability analysis.
• Support spacecraft integration, environmental qualification, launch campaigns, and on-orbit anomaly resolution.
• Contribute to system architecture and technical decision making across the avionics organization.

Skills

Electrical Engineering

Embedded systems

Schematic capture

Board-level debugging

DDR/Interface protocols

FPGA-based systems

Hardware production

EDA tools

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Electrical or Computer Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro/OrCAD

Job description

About Cowboy Space Corp.

Mission

Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Background

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.

Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.

Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.

This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation ’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

The Role

We're looking for a Flight Computer Avionics Engineer to own the design, development, integration, and qualification of our spacecraft flight computer. You'll be responsible for delivering reliable, radiation-tolerant avionics hardware that serves as the central computing platform for our spacecraft.

This is a hands-on individual contributor role for someone who enjoys taking complex hardware from architecture through production and flight. You'll work closely with software, GNC, power, RF, thermal, and mechanical engineers to develop avionics capable of operating in the harsh environment of space.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design spacecraft flight computer hardware from concept through flight qualification.

• Own schematic capture, component selection, board bring-up, debugging, and verification.

• Design high-reliability digital electronics using modern processors, SoCs, FPGAs, memory, and high-speed interfaces.

• Develop fault-tolerant architectures including redundancy, watchdogs, fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR).

• Define interfaces between the flight computer and all spacecraft subsystems, including power, propulsion, GNC, payloads, communications, and telemetry.

• Lead board-level validation, hardware characterization, environmental testing, and design verification.

• Partner closely with embedded software and FPGA engineers to enable hardware/software integration.

• Support manufacturing, DFM/DFT reviews, supplier engagement, and production test development.

• Drive EMC/EMI compliance, signal integrity, power integrity, and reliability analysis.

• Support spacecraft integration, environmental qualification, launch campaigns, and on-orbit anomaly resolution.

• Contribute to system architecture and technical decision making across the avionics organization.

Basic Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 5+ years developing complex digital hardware.

• Experience designing processor-based embedded systems.

• Strong schematic capture and board‑level debugging experience.

• Experience with DDR memory, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, PCIe, SpaceWire, or similar interfaces.

• Familiarity with FPGA‑based systems and embedded processors.

• Experience bringing hardware from prototype through production.

• Proficiency using tools such as Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, or equivalent.

• Strong lab debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, and related equipment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing spacecraft or launch vehicle avionics.

• Experience with radiation‑tolerant or radiation‑hardened electronics.

• Familiarity with ECSS, NASA, or MIL hardware design standards.

• Experience with fault‑tolerant computing architectures.

• Knowledge of high‑speed digital design, SI/PI analysis, and timing closure.

• Experience with environmental qualification including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and EMI/EMC testing.

• Familiarity with embedded Linux, RTOS, or bare‑metal software development.

• Experience supporting hardware through launch and flight operations.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $120,000 - $175,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement savings plan

• Paid time off

• 10 paid holidays per calendar year

• Paid parental leave

• Relocation assistance if applicable

• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.