Navigation Sensor Hardware Engineer

Cowboy Space Corp.; United States; On-site; USD 170,000 - 202,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. in San Carlos, CA, seeks a navigation sensor hardware lead to own the sensor suite for launch vehicles and spacecraft.

You will select, characterize, calibrate, qualify, and integrate inertial sensors and GNSS hardware, and identify opportunities to share components across vehicles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of related experience in navigation sensor hardware or avionics assembly design and integration, including responsibility for hardware performance and verification.
• Understanding of IMU error sources, environmental sensitivities, calibration methods, and mitigation techniques.
• Experience integrating accelerometers, gyroscopes, or IMUs into flight or other high-reliability systems, including their electrical interfaces and mechanical mounting.
• Hands-on experience developing test setups, analyzing sensor data, and characterizing or qualifying hardware against defined requirements.
• Understanding of design for manufacturing and the ability to work independently, document technical decisions, and coordinate delivery with suppliers and engineering teams.
• Experience with Analog to Digital Converters and Digital to Analog Converters and Data Acquisition systems.
• Experience with a variety of sensors such as proximity, pressure, temperature, strain gages, as well as with encoder selection.

Responsibilities

• Define navigation sensor hardware requirements with vehicle and guidance, navigation, and control engineers, and select the sensor suite for each application.
• Evaluate supplier accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and GNSS receivers against performance, environmental, interface, cost, and availability requirements.
• Identify shared components and interfaces across launch vehicles and spacecraft, documenting where different operating environments require different hardware or qualification approaches.
• Own electrical and mechanical integration of the sensor suite with avionics and vehicle teams. Coordinate GNSS antenna, RF compatibility, and interference requirements with the RF systems engineer.
• Develop characterization and calibration methods for inertial sensors, quantify error sources and environmental sensitivities, and provide calibration data and performance models to the navigation software team.
• Plan and lead component and assembly acceptance and qualification testing, including thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC, and radiation testing as applicable; document results and close verification requirements.
• Lead sensor hardware failure analysis, work with suppliers to resolve defects and performance issues, and implement hardware or calibration-software improvements.
• Establish repeatable calibration and acceptance processes with manufacturing and test teams, track hardware readiness for vehicle integration, and coordinate applicable regulatory or certification evidence.

Skills

IMU errors

sensor integration

test setups

vendor coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in EE or AE

Master's degree preferred

Tools

ADC

DAC

DAQ

GNSS receivers

IMUs

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 navigation sensor hardware lead to own the sensor suite used across our launch vehicles and spacecraft. You will select, characterize, calibrate, qualify, and integrate inertial sensors and GNSS hardware, identifying opportunities to share components where they meet each vehicle’s requirements.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on delivering reliable sensor hardware and well-characterized performance to the vehicle and guidance, navigation, and control teams. You will work with suppliers and engineering partners from initial selection through qualification, production acceptance, and vehicle integration.

Responsibilities

• Define navigation sensor hardware requirements with vehicle and guidance, navigation, and control engineers, and select the sensor suite for each application.
• Evaluate supplier accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and GNSS receivers against performance, environmental, interface, cost, and availability requirements.
• Identify shared components and interfaces across launch vehicles and spacecraft, documenting where different operating environments require different hardware or qualification approaches.
• Own electrical and mechanical integration of the sensor suite with avionics and vehicle teams. Coordinate GNSS antenna, RF compatibility, and interference requirements with the RF systems engineer.
• Develop characterization and calibration methods for inertial sensors, quantify error sources and environmental sensitivities, and provide calibration data and performance models to the navigation software team.
• Plan and lead component and assembly acceptance and qualification testing, including thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC, and radiation testing as applicable; document results and close verification requirements.
• Lead sensor hardware failure analysis, work with suppliers to resolve defects and performance issues, and implement hardware or calibration-software improvements.
• Establish repeatable calibration and acceptance processes with manufacturing and test teams, track hardware readiness for vehicle integration, and coordinate applicable regulatory or certification evidence.

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of related experience in navigation sensor hardware or avionics assembly design and integration, including responsibility for hardware performance and verification.
• Understanding of IMU error sources, environmental sensitivities, calibration methods, and mitigation techniques.
• Experience integrating accelerometers, gyroscopes, or IMUs into flight or other high-reliability systems, including their electrical interfaces and mechanical mounting.
• Hands-on experience developing test setups, analyzing sensor data, and characterizing or qualifying hardware against defined requirements.
• Understanding of design for manufacturing and the ability to work independently, document technical decisions, and coordinate delivery with suppliers and engineering teams.
• Experience with Analog to Digital Converters and Digital to Analog Converters and Data Acquisition systems.
• Experience with a variety of sensors such as proximity, pressure, temperature, strain gages, as well as with encoder selection.

Preferred experience

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• Experience integrating GNSS receivers and working with navigation software or guidance, navigation, and control teams.
• Experience qualifying sensor hardware for both launch-vehicle and spacecraft environments, or reusing components across platforms.
• Experience developing custom inertial sensor assemblies, including navigation-grade IMU triads, or supporting accelerometer and gyroscope development.
• Experience improving calibration, acceptance-test coverage, manufacturing yield, or production throughput for sensor hardware.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $170,000 - $202,000 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 employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.