Power Avionics Engineer

Socket.dev; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 175,000; 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

10 paid holidays per calendar year

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp in San Carlos, CA is seeking a Power Avionics Engineer to lead the design, development, and integration of high‑power spacecraft power electronics for solar arrays and compute payloads.

Collaborate with software, mechanical, solar, and propulsion teams to meet demanding performance standards for space applications and contribute to a vision of space‑based energy and secure data transmission from orbit.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience designing or testing power electronics or avionics systems.
• Strong understanding of power electronics fundamentals (DC-DC conversion, control systems, power distribution).
• Experience with schematic capture, PCB design, and board bring-up.
• Familiarity with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads) and debugging techniques.
• Experience working in high-reliability or hardware-focused environments.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, development, and validation of spacecraft power electronics systems from concept through flight
• Architect and implement power distribution systems, including power management, conversion, and regulation for spacecraft subsystems
• Design and analyze DC-DC converters, battery management systems (BMS), and power control electronics for high-reliability environments
• Develop and execute test plans for power systems, including functional, environmental, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
• Perform system-level analysis of power budgets, efficiency, thermal performance, and fault conditions
• Implement protection and fault management strategies (overcurrent, overvoltage, short circuit, latch-up protection)
• Partner closely with structures, thermal, software, and payload teams to ensure seamless integration of power systems
• Support board bring-up, integration, and debugging of power electronics in lab and flight environments
• Investigate anomalies and drive root cause analysis to improve system robustness and reliability
• Support vehicle integration, pre-flight testing, and on-orbit performance analysis

Skills

Power electronics fundamentals

DC-DC conversion

Control systems

Power distribution

Schematic capture

PCB design

Lab debugging

High-reliability environments

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Power supplies

Electronic loads

PCB design tools

Job description

Power Avionics Engineer

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:

The Power Electronics Engineer role is responsible for the design, development, and integration of electrical systems supporting high power solar arrays and compute payloads. You will collaborate with software, mechanical, solar, and propulsion engineers to develop solutions that meet rigorous performance standards for space applications.

Responsibilities:

• Own the design, development, and validation of spacecraft power electronics systems from concept through flight
• Architect and implement power distribution systems, including power management, conversion, and regulation for spacecraft subsystems
• Design and analyze DC-DC converters, battery management systems (BMS), and power control electronics for high-reliability environments
• Develop and execute test plans for power systems, including functional, environmental, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
• Perform system-level analysis of power budgets, efficiency, thermal performance, and fault conditions
• Implement protection and fault management strategies (overcurrent, overvoltage, short circuit, latch-up protection)
• Partner closely with structures, thermal, software, and payload teams to ensure seamless integration of power systems
• Support board bring-up, integration, and debugging of power electronics in lab and flight environments
• Investigate anomalies and drive root cause analysis to improve system robustness and reliability
• Support vehicle integration, pre-flight testing, and on-orbit performance analysis

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
• 3+ years of experience designing or testing power electronics or avionics systems
• Strong understanding of power electronics fundamentals (DC-DC conversion, control systems, power distribution)
• Experience with schematic capture, PCB design, and board bring-up
• Familiarity with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads) and debugging techniques
• Experience working in high-reliability or hardware-focused environments

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience designing power systems for spacecraft, aerospace, or other harsh environments
• Familiarity with battery systems, solar arrays, and energy storage technologies
• Experience with radiation-tolerant design and component selection
• Knowledge of thermal management and its interaction with power electronics
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and system integration
• Familiarity with FPGA or embedded systems as they relate to power control and monitoring
• Experience with reliability analysis (FMEA/FMECA, derating, fault tolerance)
• Ability to work in fast-paced, high-ownership environments with aggressive timelines

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $120,000 – $175,000 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.