Harnessing Engineer (Launch Vehicle Avionics)

The Valentino Group; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Valentino Group in San Francisco is seeking a Harnessing Engineer for their Avionics team. You'll collaborate cross-functionally to design and execute flight harnesses, ensuring reliability in extreme environments while delivering safe, lightweight, and manufacturable systems.

Successful candidates will have notable experience in wire harness design, a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, and a hands-on approach to problem-solving. Join a dynamic environment and contribute to cutting-edge aerospace projects.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in wire harness design.
• 3+ years using mechanical CAD tools and PLM systems.
• Strong understanding of harness design and manufacturing methods.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Harness Responsible Engineer for the launch vehicle program.
• Design harness architecture and routing including mechanical layout.
• Document and maintain engineering artifacts including test procedures.

Skills

Wire harness design

Communication skills

Troubleshooting

Mechanical CAD tools

Aerospace-grade materials selection

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

RapidHarness

Job description

Harnessing Engineer (Launch Vehicle Avionics)

Our clients Avionics team is responsible for the electrical architecture that powers and controls the launch vehicle. As a Harnessing Engineer, you'll own the design and execution of flight and test harnesses that connect avionics, sensors, power systems, and vehicle subsystems—ensuring reliability in extreme environments.

This is an end-to-end role spanning requirements definition, architecture, detailed design, first-article builds, qualification testing, and production support. You’ll work closely with mechanical, thermal, electrical, integration, and manufacturing teams to deliver harness systems that are safe, lightweight, manufacturable, and flight-ready.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a hands‑on, highly collaborative engineer who thrives in fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environments and is excited to build real flight hardware. You’ll be a key technical owner on the vehicle program with high visibility and the ability to shape best practices as the organization scales.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as the Harness Responsible Engineer for the launch vehicle program
• Partner cross‑functionally with Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Engineering to define harness requirements, interfaces, and system constraints
• Select materials and components (wire, connectors, backshells, shielding, strain relief, etc.) appropriate for aerospace environments
• Design harness architecture and routing, including mechanical layout, service loops, strain relief, and EMI/EMC considerations
• Create and maintain system‑level schematics, wiring diagrams, and pinouts
• Draft and review manufacturing/assembly drawings and ensure alignment with production processes
• Support first‑article builds and transition designs into repeatable production flows
• Execute and/or define test approaches including continuity, isolation, grounding, pin‑to‑pin verification, and troubleshooting
• Investigate development and production nonconformances, drive root cause, and implement corrective actions
• Document and maintain engineering artifacts including test procedures, analysis/results, FMEAs, requirement docs, and work instructions
• Operate in a hands‑on environment—supporting design, build, integration, and test activities as needed

What We’re Looking For (Required)

• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical field
• 5+ years of professional experience in wire harness design (aerospace, vehicles, robotics, defense, or similarly rigorous environments)
• 3+ years using mechanical CAD tools and PLM systems; comfortable releasing production drawings
• Ability to interpret and create complex wiring diagrams, schematics, and interface documentation
• Strong understanding of harness design and manufacturing methods (buildability, inspection, testability, and rework considerations)
• Experience with aerospace‑grade materials/component selection and design for weight, cost, and manufacturability
• Hands‑on experience troubleshooting harness issues to root cause, with a corrective‑action mindset
• Familiarity with one or more relevant standards, such as: IPC/WHMA‑A‑620, NASA‑STD‑8739.4 / 8739.6, NASA‑STD‑6016, SAE AS22759, J‑STD‑001
• Strong communication skills and ability to manage interfaces across multiple engineering teams
• Self‑directed and comfortable solving open‑ended problems with speed and rigor

Nice to Have (Desired Multipliers)

• Prior experience in aerospace or launch vehicle applications
• Knowledge of redundancy strategies for flight‑critical systems
• Experience designing for high vibration, vacuum, thermal cycling, and harsh EMI environments
• Proficiency with Siemens NX and Teamcenter
• Experience with harness‑specific design tools such as RapidHarness

Inclusive Hiring

You do not need to meet every qualification to apply. Our client values diverse perspectives and is committed to building a team with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

San Francisco applicants will be considered in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

This position is subject to U.S. export control regulations, including ITAR and EAR. Employment is contingent upon the candidate’s status as a U.S. Person or ability to obtain an appropriate export license, along with required background checks and (where applicable) eligibility for government contracts or security clearance.