Recent Graduate - Electrical Engineer

Katalyst Space Technologies; Broomfield (CO); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Katalyst Space Technologies is seeking an electrical/avionics engineer to design, analyze, and test spacecraft systems with a hands-on, in-lab focus. You’ll own well-scoped problems from requirements through hardware validation, collaborating with mechanical, GNC, software, and mission-operations engineers.

The role emphasizes practical experimentation, board bring-up, and hardware-in-the-loop testing to ensure reliable flight hardware and mission readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or expected before start date.
• Hands-on electrical engineering experience through labs, internships, or projects.
• Ability to break down ambiguous problems and justify design choices.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, develop, and test spacecraft electrical and avionics systems.
• Own electrical engineering problems from requirements to validation with senior support.
• Work hands-on with schematics, boards, and flight hardware in lab settings.
• Participate in design reviews, bring-up, integration, and mission-readiness activities.
• Collaborate across mechanical, software, systems, and manufacturing teams.

Skills

Electrical fundamentals

Circuits

Digital & analog systems

Embedded systems

Power electronics

Sensors & signals

System-level thinking

Verbal & written communication

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or related field

Tools

PCB development

Hardware-in-the-loop

Oscilloscopes

Schematic capture tools

Job description

Katalyst Culture:

Working at Katalyst is intense, hands-on, and deeply rewarding. You’ll take real ownership and see your work move from concept to operations in an environment where the problems are hard and the impact is real. We value humility, craftsmanship, and doing things the right way, even when it’s harder. You’ll work closely with thoughtful, driven teammates who push each other to do their best.

WhatYou’llDo

• Contribute directly to the design, analysis, development, integration, test, and operation of spacecraft electrical and avionics systems, including power, embedded electronics, sensors, interfaces, and flight hardware.
• Own well-scoped electrical engineering problems from requirements and concept development through schematic design,componentselection, analysis, PCB or harness interface definition, integration, test, documentation, and closure with support from senior engineers.
• Work hands-on with schematics, boards, flight hardware, sensors, harnesses, bench equipment, oscilloscopes, power supplies, logic analyzers, simulation tools, and hardware-in-the-loop environments rather thanoperatingonly at the analysis or documentation layer.
• Participate in design reviews, board bring-up, hardware builds, integration activities, test campaigns, anomaly investigations, and mission-readiness activities; communicate electrical performance, risks, assumptions, and decisions clearly.
• Collaborate across mechanical, GNC, propulsion, software, systems, manufacturing, and mission operations to understand electrical interfaces and system-level impacts on spacecraft performance.
• Build engineering judgment by comparing circuit calculations, simulations, power budgets, signal expectations, and interface assumptions against bench, integration, and hardware data,identifyingdiscrepancies, and iterating toward reliable flight hardware.
• Document requirements, assumptions, interfaces, calculations, schematics,componentselections, analyses, test results, procedures, and technical decisions so others can review, reproduce, build, and integrate the work.
• Take increasing ownership as technical capability grows, progressing from supervised design and analysis tasks toward independent circuit-, board-, interface-, or subsystem-level responsibility.
• Support spacecraft mission execution by helping translate missionobjectivesand constraints into credible electrical designs, analyses, hardware interfaces, integration plans, test approaches, and operational recommendations.

WhatWe’reLooking For

Required

• Bachelor's degree completed, or expected before start date, in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or a closely related technical field.
• Strong academic or project-based grounding in circuits, electronics, digital and analog systems, embedded systems, power electronics, signals, sensors, or related electrical engineering fundamentals, with the ability to explain technical reasoning from first principles.
• Demonstrated hands-on electrical engineering experience through internships, research, student spacecraft or robotics teams, capstone projects, personal projects, laboratories, board bring-up, electronics assembly, or prior employment.
• Ability to break down ambiguous electrical problems,identifyassumptions and interfaces, buildappropriate models, make reasonable design tradeoffs, andvalidatework through calculation, simulation, bench test, hardware-in-the-loop, or data.
• Clear written and verbal technical communication, including the ability to explain what was personally designed, analyzed, wired, assembled, integrated, tested, or debugged versus what was completed by a team.
• Comfort learning new spacecraft electrical hardware, components, interfaces, embedded systems, test methods, analysis tools, and mission concepts quickly in an environment where responsibilities may evolve with program needs.
• Ability to collaborate closely with mechanical, GNC, propulsion, software, systems, manufacturing, and mission-operations engineers and accept direct technical feedback without losing ownership of the problem.
• Ability tocomply withapplicable export-control requirements and customer-access restrictions.

Your Ideal Background

Preferred

• Internship, research, co-op, or project experience in spacecraft, aerospace, robotics, avionics, power electronics, embedded systems, defense technology, high-reliability hardware, or another electrically demanding environment.
• Experience taking a circuit, board, electrical assembly, embedded hardware interface, or power subsystem from concept and design into build, bring-up, integration, or test and using the results to drive changes.
• Exposure to circuit design, embedded systems, power electronics, PCB development, sensors, test equipment, hardware-in-the-loop environments, electrical integration, or electrical testing.
• Additional Requirements: Must be willing to work hands-on in the office, lab, integration, or test environment as required and to support occasional extended hours during critical test or mission activities.

Compensation and Benefits:

Your base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is $80,000 - $105,000 annually.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off.

At Katalyst our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130, which requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR‑controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst would have to ensure any non‑US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.