Harness Design Engineer (San Jose California)

Astro Digital; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Astr o Digital is seeking a Harness Design Engineer to own the full lifecycle of electrical harness development for next-generation spacecraft programs. You will work at the intersection of electrical design, systems integration, and hands-on hardware to deliver flight-ready wiring harnesses for challenging environments.

Responsibilities include designing harnesses from requirements to acceptance testing, producing wire lists and schematics, and coordinating with suppliers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Aerospace engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in electrical harness design for aerospace/spacecraft/defense.
• Hands-on experience with harness design tools such as OnShape or Altium.
• Experience supporting hardware through build, integration, and test phases.
• Solid grounding, shielding, EMI/EMC principles knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop spacecraft electrical harnesses from requirements through fabrication, integration, and testing.
• Create and maintain harness design docs including wire lists, schematics, connectors, drawings, and routing diagrams.
• Author engineering specs, manufacturing work instructions, and ATPs.
• Support harness fabrication on the shop floor, resolving build discrepancies.
• Perform electrical analyses like wire sizing, voltage drop, grounding, and derating.
• Lead harness integration activities including tests and verifications.
• Drive design improvements via lessons learned and DFMA reviews.
• Interface with suppliers to specify and qualify harness components.

Skills

Electrical harness design

EMI/EMC

Documentation

Grounding

Wiring harness understanding

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

OnShape

Altium

Job description

Astro Digital designs, builds, and operates a diverse range of small satellite systems supporting space-based turnkey missions for several business applications, including earth observation, communications, in-orbit demonstrations, risk reduction, science, and exploration. Astro Digital is headquartered in Littleton, Colorado with roughly 100 employees and infrastructure around the globe.

Position Summary

We're looking for a Harness Design Engineer to own the full lifecycle of electrical harness development from concept through integration and test on next-generation spacecraft programs. You'll work at the intersection of electrical design, systems integration, and hands-on hardware, collaborating closely with the different engineering teams to deliver flight-ready wiring harnesses that perform flawlessly in the harshest environments imaginable.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Design and develop spacecraft electrical harnesses from requirements capture through fabrication, integration, and acceptance testing
• Produce and own harness design documentation including wire lists, schematics, connectors, drawings, and routing diagrams using tools
• Author and maintain engineering specifications, manufacturing work instructions, and acceptance test procedures (ATPs)
• Support and lead harness fabrication with manufacturing and technician teams, providing build support and resolving discrepancies on the floor
• Perform and review electrical analysis including wire sizing, voltage drop, shield grounding, and derating
• Lead harness integration activities on the spacecraft, including pull tests, continuity, hi-pot, and functional verification
• Drive design improvements through lessons learned, DFM (Design for Manufacturability) reviews, and failure analysis
• Interface with suppliers and vendors to specify, procure, and qualify harness components (connectors, wire, backshells, etc.)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field
• 2+ years of experience in electrical harness design for aerospace, spacecraft, or defense applications
• Hands-on experience with harness design tools (OnShape, Altium or similar)
• Experience supporting hardware through build, integration, and test phases
• Solid understanding of grounding, shielding, EMI/EMC principles in spacecraft systems
• Strong documentation skills - you write clear specs, drawings, and work instructions

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience on LEO or GEO satellite programs
• Proficiency with connector and wire standards (MIL-DTL-38999, MIL-W-22759, NASA-STD-8739.4, etc.)
• Familiarity with NASA or ECSS workmanship standards
• IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification or equivalent
• Exposure to AS9100 quality management environments
• Experience with PDM/PLM systems (Odoo)

Work Location

Physical Demands

This position requires the ability to lift and move objects weighing up to 50 lbs. Frequent standing, walking, bending, and reaching may be required.

Export Statement

This position requires access to export-controlled commodities, technical data, technology, software, and services. U.S. citizenship, U.S. legal permanent resident status, or protected person status under 22 CFR 120.15 and 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) is required.