Lead Space Power Systems Engineer — Electric Propulsion

Karman+; Broomfield (CO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plans

Dental & Vision plans

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Equity Incentive Plan

Job summary

Karman+ is seeking an experienced engineer to own the spacecraft power subsystem, from MPPT through HV-to-LV conversion and distribution. You will work with avionics to ensure robust fault protection and flight-ready hardware, including testing, integration, and environmental qualification.

The role requires hands-on power-electronics design, deep DC power knowledge, and experience with high-energy space systems. Opportunity to influence a first-of-its-kind mission from Colorado.

Qualifications

• Delivered a spacecraft power subsystem, or a major part of one, through test.
• Hands-on power-electronics design, not only architecture.
• Strong fundamentals in DC power conversion, control-loop and bus-stability analysis, battery systems and solar-array electrical behaviour across temperature and radiation.
• Experience with high-voltage spacecraft buses or high-power EP interfaces; GEO electric orbit-raising background is directly relevant.
• Own the whole thing: requirements, design, suppliers, test and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Own the power architecture and budget end to end: array, peak-power tracking, HV bus, battery and charge/discharge regulation, HV–LV conversion, and distribution.
• Design the array-to-bus interface: MPPT strategy, string configuration, and HV bus behaviour under power limits.
• Set and defend the bus specification against the loads: PPU input range, inrush and ripple at thruster ignition, bus stability at the PCDU–PPU interface, and overvoltage scenarios.
• Lead the PCDU and power electronics development with the avionics team across board-level design, power switching and protection, telemetry, and fault protection.
• Build the power flatsat with an array simulator and a propulsion load simulator, and carry the subsystem through integration, EMC and environmental qualification.

Skills

Power electronics

DC power conversion

Bus stability analysis

Battery systems

Solar arrays

Space radiation

Requirements management

Tools

F Prime

EMC testing

Job description

Karman+ is seeking an experienced engineer to own the spacecraft power subsystem, from MPPT through HV-to-LV conversion and distribution. You will work with avionics to ensure robust fault protection and flight-ready hardware, including testing, integration, and environmental qualification.

The role requires hands-on power-electronics design, deep DC power knowledge, and experience with high-energy space systems. Opportunity to influence a first-of-its-kind mission from Colorado.