Electromagnetic Compatibility and Interference Engineer Principal

Axiom Space; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Axiom Space is seeking a bold Electromagnetic Compatibility and Interference Engineer Principal (Lv 5) to own the EMC program for the multi-element space station and tailor MIL-STD-461H to our vehicle. You will define verification plans, approve supplier test plans, and mentor engineers while ensuring compliance with NASA standards and safety requirements.

The role requires 12+ years of EMC leadership in aerospace, strong communication skills, and a track record of delivering results under tight

Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or equivalent.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• Level 5: 12+ years, including ownership of the EMC program on at least one vehicle carried through qualification test.
• Working command of MIL-STD-461 test methods in practice: conducted and radiated emission and susceptibility setups, line impedance stabilization networks, current probes, antennas and antenna factors, measurement bandwidths and scan rates.
• Tailoring experience: producing a program-specific requirement set with rationale written and defended to customers.
• Practical understanding of interference physics and mitigation: common mode/differential mode paths, filtering, shielding, and layout decisions.
• Experience with switching power conversion as an emissions source and ability to discuss with suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Own the EMC control and verification plan: applicable standards, tailoring rationale, limits, and verification approach.
• Tailor emission/susceptibility requirements to vehicle and defend tailoring to customers.
• Flow EMC requirements into equipment procurement specs, SOWs, and interface control documents.
• Define and control the electromagnetic environment: internal/external RF environments and shielding margins.
• Review and approve supplier EMC test plans and witness testing; qualify test facilities.
• Own EMC test failure disposition: investigation, root cause, retest scope, fixes, and waivers with the customer.
• Own cable/wiring EMC practices and ensure they are reflected in harness drawings.
• Support filter design and emissions control at the source; challenge supplier designs with evidence.
• Mentor junior engineers and communicate progress, risk, and options to stakeholders and leadership.

Skills

EMC engineering

Technical leadership

Systems engineering

Communication (written & verbal)

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

MIL-STD-461 test methods

Job description

OVERVIEW

Axiom Space is a human space exploration company, building era-defining space infrastructure and delivering technology-driven solutions that will empower civilization to transcend Earth. Beginning with Axiom Station, successor to the International Space Station, the company is pioneering a next-generation orbital settlement that will foster groundbreaking innovation and research in microgravity and drive the global space economy of tomorrow. Today, guided by the vision of leading humanity's expansion off planet, Axiom Space is the principal provider of commercial human spaceflight services and developer of advanced spacesuits for the Moon and beyond. For more information about Axiom Space, visit www.axiomspace.com. Axiom Space fosters a work environment inclusive of all perspectives. We are the pioneers of commercial space, leading the transformation of low-Earth orbit into a global space marketplace. Our mission-driven team is seeking a bold and dynamic Electromagnetic Compatibility and Interference Engineer Principal (Lv 5) who is fueled by high accountability, execution horsepower, and driven to understand our world, science/technology, and life itself, for the benefit of all on Earth and beyond.

POSITION SUMMARY

Since Axiom Space is a very complex work environment, we are looking for a resilient, high-energy Electromagnetic Compatibility and Interference Engineer to own the electromagnetic behavior of the station: what the hardware is allowed to emit, what it has to survive, how that is tailored from the governing standards into something a supplier can actually build to, and how it gets verified. The Axiom Space Station is a multi-element pressurized vehicle with high voltage switching power conversion, deployable solar arrays, radio frequency communication systems, crew equipment, and payloads from customers we do not control, all sharing one structure and one harness environment. The person in this seat writes and owns the EMC control and verification plan, tailors MIL-STD-461H against MSFC-SPEC-521D, MSFC-STD-3790, and SSP 30237 into the program requirement set, flows those requirements into procurement specifications and interface control documents, approves supplier test plans, witnesses testing, and dispositions what happens when hardware fails.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the EMC control and verification plan: applicable standards, tailoring rationale, order of precedence, limits, applicability matrices, and the verification approach for each requirement
• Tailor conducted and radiated emission and susceptibility requirements from MIL-STD-461H, MSFC-SPEC-521D, MSFC-STD-3790, and SSP 30237 to the vehicle, and defend the tailoring to the customer rather than inheriting limits that over specify the hardware and the cost
• Flow EMC requirements into equipment procurement specifications, statements of work, and interface control documents, with the test method, the limit, the applicability, and the data deliverable stated unambiguously
• Define and control the electromagnetic environment: internal and external radio frequency environment, hull shielding effectiveness, alternating current and static magnetic field limits, and the margin policy between the environment and equipment susceptibility levels
• Review and approve supplier EMC test plans and procedures, review test reports against the data presentation requirements, witness safety critical and high-risk testing, and qualify test facilities including chamber attenuation, ambient characterization, and instrument calibration status
• Own EMC test failure disposition: investigation, root cause, retest scope, fixes, and the standard for what constitutes an acceptable waiver, and carry the waiver and deviation process with the customer
• Own cable and wiring electromagnetic practice: cable classification, routing and separation rules, shielding and shield termination methods, twisting, and overbraid and overshield termination, and enforce it through harness drawings and design review
• Support filter design and emissions control at the source, including power converter switching behavior, input and output filter topology, common mode current control, and layout and enclosure practice, and challenge supplier designs on the evidence
• Own electrostatic discharge control for ground handling and flight, corona and multipaction assessment for high voltage equipment, and spacecraft charging coordination with the environments and materials teams
• Disposition commercial off the shelf equipment: evaluate existing test data for adequacy, define the qualification testing required when data is absent, and record the basis of acceptance
• Build and maintain the EMC verification matrix and the analysis, inspection, and test evidence behind it, and present EMC status, risk, and open work at SRR, PDR, CDR, Test Readiness Review, Manufacturing Readiness Review, and to NASA and international partner audiences
• Mentor junior engineers, review their analyses and documents, and raise the technical standard of the team rather than only your own output
• Communicate progress, status, risk, and options to stakeholders and leadership.
• Perform additional job duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Education & Experience Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or equivalent. Advanced degree preferred Level 5: 12 or more years, including ownership of the EMC program on at least one vehicle carried through qualification test Working command of MIL-STD-461 test methods in practice, not only on paper: conducted and radiated emission and susceptibility setups, line impedance stabilization networks, current probes, antennas and antenna factors, measurement bandwidths and scan rates, and what makes a measurement defensible Demonstrated tailoring experience: taking a broad standard and producing a justified, program specific requirement set, with the rationale written down and defended to customers Practical understanding of interference physics and mitigation: common mode and differential mode paths, filtering, shielding and shield termination, cable coupling and separation, enclosure and seam treatment, and layout decisions that determine whether a box passes Experience with switching power conversion as an emissions source, sufficient to hold a design discussion with a power electronics supplier Demonstrated ability to author and maintain controlling documentation: control plans, requirement specifications, test requirement documents, verification matrices, and test reports Experience directing supplier EMC activity: test plan approval, test witnessing, report review, and failure disposition Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to defend a technical position in front of customers, partners, and safety authorities Track record of delivering outcomes in ambiguous, fast-moving environments, and of delivering high quality results under tight deadlines Uses good judgement to problem-solve proactively, positively impacting hard challenges Demonstrated organization skills to meet tight deadlines with high quality results

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of grounding, bonding, and isolation principles and their relationship to electromagnetic performance, including NASA-STD-4003A bond classification, single point and multipoint reference architecture, and bond impedance behavior with frequency. This is a strong preference. The two disciplines share the same hardware and the same failures, and the successful candidate is expected to work closely with the bonding and grounding engineer
• Human spaceflight experience, and familiarity with International Space Station electromagnetic requirements and the associated review and certification process
• Experience with magnetic cleanliness programs, alternating current and static magnetic field measurement, or magnetically sensitive payload accommodation
• Experience with high voltage design issues in vacuum and partial pressure, including corona, multipaction, and Paschen behavior
• Experience with spacecraft charging analysis and electrostatic discharge control in the flight environment
• Experience with electromagnetic modeling and simulation tools for shielding, coupling, or antenna placement studies
• NARTE EMC certification, INCOSE certification, or equivalent demonstrated practice

Core Skills

• Passion for space and the mission
• Entrepreneurial, growth mindset
• High EQ and ability to collaborate within teams and cross-functionally
• Tech-solutioning in using systems and tools to move smarter and faster

Core Competencies:

• Accountability
• Technical Rigor
• Execution Discipline
• Pride of Delivery

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Generally, an office environment, but can involve inside or outside work depending on the task.

Requirements

This position may require access to export controlled technical data or technology subject to NASA regulations, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). In accordance with U.S. export control laws, final candidates may be required to undergo additional export control screening to determine eligibility for access. Meeting these requirements is a condition of employment Management has the prerogative to select at any level for which the position is advertised Must be willing to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet critical project milestones

Physical Requirements

Work may involve sitting or standing for extended periods (90% of the time) May require lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs. (5% of the time)

Equipment and Machines

Standard office equipment (PC, phone, printer, etc.)

Axiom Space is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Axiom Space does not discriminate on the basis of race, regional color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Axiom Space is building the world’s first commercial space station – Axiom Station. Serving as a cornerstone for sustained human presence in space, this next-generation orbital platform fosters groundbreaking innovation and research in microgravity, and cultivates the vibrant, global space economy of tomorrow. Today, driven by the vision of leading humanity's journey off planet, Axiom Space is the principal provider of commercial human spaceflight services to the International Space Station and developer of advanced spacesuits for the Moon and low-Earth orbit. Axiom Space is building era-defining space infrastructure that will empower our civilization to transcend Earth for the benefit of every human, everywhere.