Payload Systems Engineer I — Space Autonomy & Hands-On Build

Lodestar Space; Los Angeles (CA); Sur place; USD 99 000 - 133 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Equity incentives

Flexible PTO

Medical, dental & vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Résumé du poste

Lodestar is seeking a Payload Engineer I to join the payload team. You will move the payload from laboratory breadboard to a qualified engineering model, working across optics, mechanical, avionics and software with senior engineers.

This early-career role emphasizes hands-on building and rapid learning, with ownership of the engineering model from day one. You’ll collaborate on design reviews, integration, and qualification, and contribute to an end-to-end ground demonstration on a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in relevant engineering, physics, optics, CS.
• 0–2 years of professional experience, early-career candidates welcome.
• Hands-on experience building something real and getting it to work.
• Working proficiency in Python.

Responsabilités

• Own the payload engineering model day to day from requirements to write-up.
• Develop payload, autonomy, power, thermal and pointing requirements and ICDs.
• Prepare SRR, PDR and CDR packages and maintain verification matrices.
• Integrate the engineering model with edge-compute avionics and multimodal sensors.
• Carry out optical alignment and performance verification and iterate designs.
• Run hardware-in-the-loop testing in the Void Lab and close the loop from perception to pointing.
• Support environmental qualification testing and post-test validation.
• Deliver end-to-end ground demonstrations on payload-in-the-loop testbeds.
• Produce technical documentation: test reports, qualification records, performance assessments.

Connaissances

Python

Formation

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical/Optical Engineering, Physics, CS

Description du poste

Lodestar is seeking a Payload Engineer I to join the payload team. You will move the payload from laboratory breadboard to a qualified engineering model, working across optics, mechanical, avionics and software with senior engineers.

This early-career role emphasizes hands-on building and rapid learning, with ownership of the engineering model from day one. You’ll collaborate on design reviews, integration, and qualification, and contribute to an end-to-end ground demonstration on a