Power Electronics Engineer - Spacecraft Systems & Flight

Cowboy Space Corp.; 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

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance if applicable

Daily lunch in the office

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Power Avionics Engineer to design, develop, and validate spacecraft power electronics systems for high-power solar arrays and compute payloads.

You will collaborate with software, mechanical, solar, and propulsion engineers to meet stringent performance standards for space applications. The role requires hands-on experience with DC-DC converters, BMS, test planning (functional, environmental, HIL), and robust fault management in high-reliability environments.

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.
• Experience designing power systems for spacecraft or harsh environments.
• Familiarity with battery systems, solar arrays, and energy storage technologies.
• Experience with radiation-tolerant design and component selection.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, development, and validation of spacecraft power electronics systems from concept through flight.
• Architect and implement power distribution systems for spacecraft subsystems.
• Design and analyze DC-DC converters, battery management systems (BMS), and power control electronics.
• Develop and execute test plans for power systems (functional, environmental, and HIL).
• 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).
• Partner closely with structures, thermal, software, and payload teams for integration.
• Support board bring-up, integration, and debugging in lab and flight environments.
• Investigate anomalies and drive root cause analysis to improve system robustness.
• Support vehicle integration, pre-flight testing, and on-orbit performance analysis.

Skills

Power electronics

Schematic capture

PCB design

Lab debugging

High-reliability environments

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Power supplies

Electronic loads

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Power Avionics Engineer to design, develop, and validate spacecraft power electronics systems for high-power solar arrays and compute payloads.

You will collaborate with software, mechanical, solar, and propulsion engineers to meet stringent performance standards for space applications. The role requires hands-on experience with DC-DC converters, BMS, test planning (functional, environmental, HIL), and robust fault management in high-reliability environments.