Chief Architect, Optical Satellite Terminals

Darwin Recruitment; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Recruitment in the United States is seeking a Chief Architect for Optical Communication Terminals. You will own the technical direction from architecture through to production and orbit, guiding several programmes in parallel.

The role requires hands-on space hardware experience, flight heritage, and a track record of delivering terminal architectures or major subsystems with production and integration expertise. Hybrid work in Colorado is expected.

Qualifications

• Hands on experience with optical communication terminals for space applications.
• Full development lifecycle involvement from architecture through to production and flight.
• Flight heritage: hardware you worked on is in orbit and working.
• Ownership of terminal architecture or major subsystem through design, build, integration and qualification.
• Comfort with production and integration beyond the design phase.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical direction of the optical terminal product through design, build, integration and production.
• Collaborate with senior leadership across multiple programmes to drive architecture forward.
• Lead end-to-end delivery from front-end architecture to flight qualification and production.
• Ensure on-site readiness at manufacturing and integration activities.

Skills

Optical terminals

Space hardware

Flight heritage

End-to-end lifecycle

Production & integration

Job description

Darwin Recruitment in the United States is seeking a Chief Architect for Optical Communication Terminals. You will own the technical direction from architecture through to production and orbit, guiding several programmes in parallel.

The role requires hands-on space hardware experience, flight heritage, and a track record of delivering terminal architectures or major subsystems with production and integration expertise. Hybrid work in Colorado is expected.