Payload Systems Engineer I — Spacecraft Autonomy

Lodestar; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity incentives

Flexible PTO

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) match

Job summary

Lodestar is hiring a Payload Engineer I in El Segundo, CA to take a leading role in taking the payload from laboratory breadboard to a qualified engineering model. You will design, build, integrate and test the payload across optics, mechanical, avionics and software, working with senior engineers to drive design reviews and qualification.

This early‑career position emphasizes hands‑on building experience. You will own the model from day one and grow into it with strong mentorship and a culture

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Physics, Optics or Photonics, Robotics, Computer Science or demonstrated equivalent knowledge
• 0-2 years of professional experience; early‑career candidates encouraged to apply
• Hands‑on evidence of building something real and making it work
• Working proficiency in Python

Responsibilities

• Own the payload engineering model day-to-day, end-to-end: requirements, design, build, integration, test, and write-up
• Develop payload, autonomy, effector, power, thermal, and pointing requirements, and the ICDs between payload, avionics, and spacecraft bus
• Prepare SRR, PDR and CDR packages, and keep the verification matrix and risk register current between reviews
• Carry out performance verification and feed corrective design iterations back into the build
• Run hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing at internal & external testing facilities
• Support environmental qualification (TVAC, launch vibration, EMC/EMI) including pre‑ and post‑test functional testing and the anomaly trail
• Deliver an end‑to‑end ground demonstration on a payload‑in‑the‑loop testbed
• Produce technical documentation: test reports, qualification records, and performance assessments against requirements

Skills

Python

Hands‑on hardware build

Problem solving

Education

Aerospace Eng (or Mechanical/Electrical)

Electrical Eng

Physics/Optics/Photonics

Robotics/CS

Job description

Lodestar is hiring a Payload Engineer I in El Segundo, CA to take a leading role in taking the payload from laboratory breadboard to a qualified engineering model. You will design, build, integrate and test the payload across optics, mechanical, avionics and software, working with senior engineers to drive design reviews and qualification.

This early‑career position emphasizes hands‑on building experience. You will own the model from day one and grow into it with strong mentorship and a culture