Head of Test

Cowboy Space; San Carlos (CA); On-site; CAD 370,000 - 421,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Daily lunch in office

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Head of Test to build and lead the test organization within our Propulsion & Launch division.

You will stand up facilities, teams, and processes to test rocket propulsion systems and vehicle stages at high cadence, and define the test philosophy and success criteria for the program. Reporting to the Head of Propulsion & Launch, you will make foundational decisions on test stand architecture, DAQ, control software, and staffing, delivering results that feed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or related engineering.
• 10+ years in test engineering, test operations, or propulsion development with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Direct experience designing, building, or operating rocket propulsion test stands (engine or stage level).
• Strong background in data acquisition systems architecture (DAQ).
• Experience with test control and sequencing systems (NI, dSPACE, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale a test organization.
• Hands-on experience with hazardous test operations and strong safety record.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the integrated test plan across propulsion and vehicle stages with clear objectives and cadence.
• Design, build, and commission test stands and cells for engine hot-fire and stage tests; own the facility from concept to readiness.
• Decide on data acquisition, control software, and instrumentation standards; ensure scalability and rapid test turnaround.
• Lead a team of test engineers, conductors, instrumentation engineers, data analysts, and technicians; establish roles and career paths.
• Establish test standards, procedures, safety protocols, redlines, abort logic, and post-test reviews.
• Own test fixture and tooling design meeting measurement accuracy and schedule needs.
• Drive high cadence test campaigns and rapid iteration between tests.
• Lead post-test data review, root-cause analysis, and actions fed to design/manufacturing/ops.
• Manage budgets, schedules, capex, and vendor/subcontractor relationships for test infrastructure.
• Coordinate with propulsion, structures, fluids, avionics, and flight teams to align tests with milestones.

Skills

10+ years experience

Rocket test stands

DAQ architecture

Test control systems

Leadership

Hazardous testing

Facility build

High cadence testing

Test software

Cryogenic handling

Calibration/standards

Thrust measurement

LabVIEW RT

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or related engineering

Tools

LabVIEW RT

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

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.

About the Role:

We are looking for a Head of Test to build and lead the test organization within our Propulsion & Launch division. Reporting to the Head of Propulsion & Launch, you will be responsible for standing up the facilities, infrastructure, teams, and processes needed to test rocket propulsion systems and vehicle stages at high cadence. You will define the test philosophy for the program—what to test, how to test it, and what “good” looks like—and then build the organization that executes against that standard. This is a ground-up leadership role: you will make foundational decisions on test stand architecture, data acquisition systems, control software, and staffing, and you will be accountable for delivering test results that feed directly into vehicle development and flight readiness.

Responsibilities:

• Define and own the integrated test plan across propulsion (component, engine, and stage level) and vehicle stages—from development testing through acceptance and qualification with clear objectives, success criteria, and cadence targets.
• Design, build, and commission test stands and test cells for engine hot-fire, stage static-fire, pressurization system proof, and component-level acceptance testing; own the facility from concept through operational readiness.
• Make architecture decisions for data acquisition (DAQ) systems, real-time control and sequencing software, and instrumentation standards; ensure the test infrastructure scales with program needs and supports rapid turnaround between tests.
• Build, lead, and develop a team of test engineers, test conductors, instrumentation engineers, data analysts, and technicians; establish roles, career paths, and a culture of operational discipline and continuous improvement.
• Establish test standards, procedures, and safety protocols across the launch organization; define redlines, commit criteria, abort logic, and post-test data review processes that become the program’s testing backbone.
• Own test fixture and tooling design—thrust measurement systems, load frames, fluid interface panels, environmental conditioning equipment, and handling GSE—ensuring they meet measurement accuracy and schedule requirements.
• Drive test campaign execution at high cadence: manage schedules, resolve hardware/facility issues in real time, and maintain a bias toward rapid iteration and short cycle times between anomaly and re-test.
• Lead post-test data review, anomaly investigation, and root-cause analysis; ensure findings are fed back into design, manufacturing, and operations teams with clear corrective actions.
• Manage test facility budgets, schedules, capital expenditure planning, and vendor/subcontractor relationships for construction, calibration services, and specialized test equipment procurement.
• Coordinate with propulsion, structures, fluids, avionics, and flight operations teams to align test campaigns with vehicle development milestones, flight readiness reviews, and launch schedules.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or related engineering field.
• 10+ years of experience in test engineering, test operations, or propulsion development, with at least 2 years in a leadership role managing teams and test facilities.
• Direct experience designing, building, or operating rocket propulsion test stands (engine or stage level) including structural, fluid, and electrical systems.
• Strong background in data acquisition systems architecture: sensor selection, signal conditioning, sampling rates, real-time data display, and post-test processing pipelines.
• Experience with test control and sequencing systems—whether PLC/PAC-based, custom real-time software, or commercial platforms (NI, dSPACE, or equivalent)—for automated test execution and abort safing.
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale a test organization: hiring, training, establishing procedures and safety culture, and driving operational cadence in a hardware-rich environment.
• Hands-on experience executing hazardous test operations (propulsion hot-fire, pressurized systems, cryogenic operations) with a strong safety record.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience standing up a test facility from greenfield or near-greenfield: site selection input, facility design, permitting coordination, construction oversight, and operational activation.
• Background in high-cadence test environments (multiple tests per week) with rapid turnaround processes, lean maintenance scheduling, and production-rate testing concepts.
• Familiarity with test software development: real-time control code (C/C++, LabVIEW RT, or MATLAB/Simulink), automated data reduction scripts (Python), and health-monitoring/trending systems.
• Experience with both liquid-propulsion and pressurized-gas systems testing, including cryogenic propellant handling (LOX, LCH4, LH2) and associated safety/environmental compliance (OSHA, EPA, NFPA, local AHJ).
• Working knowledge of test measurement uncertainty analysis, calibration standards (ISO 17025), and thrust measurement system design (force measurement systems, load cells, calibration fixtures).

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $265,000 – $302,000 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