Senior Electrical Design Engineer (Clearance preferred)

Capella Space; Louisville (CO); On-site; USD 130,000 - 163,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extensive medical coverage

401K Plan with vesting

Paid Flexible Time Off

Mental health resources

Dog-friendly work environment

Job summary

A pioneering satellite technology firm in Louisville is seeking a Senior Electrical Design Engineer to lead the full electrical design lifecycle for spaceflight hardware. This role involves cross-disciplinary collaboration to develop high-reliability electronics. Candidates should have over 6 years of design experience, be proficient in Altium Designer, and have an active security clearance. The position offers a competitive salary and extensive benefits packages.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience designing and debugging.
• Proficiency in Altium Designer (or similar ECAD tools).
• Hands-on experience with lab instruments.
• Solid understanding of digital buses.
• Strong documentation habits and organizational skills.
• Active security clearance preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive the full electrical design lifecycle.
• Develop robust analog/digital designs.
• Participate in cross-disciplinary design reviews.
• Provide input to schedule planning.
• Lead board-level bring-up and debugging.
• Define test plans and verification strategies.
• Collaborate across teams.

Skills

Electrical design

Analog/digital design

Altium Designer

Debugging

Team collaboration

Education

B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Altium Designer

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Job description

Senior Electrical Design Engineer (Clearance preferred)

About Capella Space: Capella Space is a pioneer in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite technology and space-based signal intelligence. We empower government, commercial, and research organizations worldwide with high-resolution, timely Earth insights that drive better decisions across defense and intelligence, disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, environmental protection, energy, and more. As a U.S.-based company, we design, build, and operate an advanced constellation of commercial SAR satellites, backed by a fully automated tasking, collection, and delivery platform. Our collaboration with IonQ brings quantum computing to space, enabling ultra‑secure, encrypted uplink and downlink capabilities, reduced latency, and powerful on‑orbit analytics. Capella was named one of Fast Company’s 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space in 2023 and is a trusted partner of multiple U.S. government agencies.

Why Join Us?

• You’ll ship real hardware to space—and own it end to end.
• You’ll work on small, highly‑skilled teams with immediate impact.
• You’ll grow in a culture that values mentorship, autonomy, and technical excellence.
• You’ll help shape the future of Earth observation with modern engineering.

About the Role

As an Electrical Hardware Design Engineer, you’ll take ownership of full‑cycle PCBA designs—from early concept to flight readiness. You will work cross‑functionally with RF, mechanical, software, and operations teams to bring high‑reliability, space‑ready electronics to life and present across disciplines to facilitate ideas, product readiness, and conduct reviews.

Role Responsibilities

• Drive the full electrical design lifecycle for spaceflight hardware: schematic capture, layout, bring‑up, test, and manufacturing handoff.
• Develop robust analog/digital designs for mission‑critical systems under environmental and performance constraints.
• Participate and host collaborative cross‑disciplinary design reviews, sharing feedback and shaping solutions with experienced engineers.
• Provide critical input to schedule planning and hardware requirements.
• Lead board‑level bring‑up and debugging, integrating firmware/software with embedded systems.
• Define test plans and verification strategies that meet flight readiness requirements.
• Play a key role in scaling up our manufacturing facility by bringing hardware from prototype to low‑volume production.
• Collaborate across teams—mechanical, RF, software, and systems—to ensure seamless integration.
• Mentor early‑career engineers, contributing to internal process improvements and elevating overall team quality.
• Engage with external vendors and CMs, ensuring delivery quality, resolving DFM/DFT issues, and ensuring on‑time delivery.
• Contribute to failure analysis and root‑cause investigations across flight or test anomalies.

What Success Looks Like

• You consistently deliver flight‑quality hardware on schedule with minimal oversight.
• You proactively identify and articulate system‑level risks and drive mitigations early.
• You communicate across hardware/software and cross‑functional gaps with confidence and clarity.
• You make thoughtful trade‑offs in constrained environments and justify them with data.
• You show curiosity about advanced areas like architecture optimization or radiation mitigation—even if they’re outside your scope for now.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience designing and debugging.
• Proficiency in Altium Designer (or similar ECAD tools).
• Hands‑on experience with lab instruments (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, etc.).
• Solid understanding of digital buses (I2C, SPI, UART, RS422, CAN, USB, PCIe, Ethernet, etc.).
• Familiarity with board bring‑up, test planning, and design verification workflows.
• Experience interacting with contract manufacturers, supporting DFM reviews, and resolving production issues.
• Strong documentation habits and organizational skills.
• Active security clearance preferred.
• Compliance with U.S. Government space technology export regulations (ITAR). Capella employees must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or eligible for required authorizations. Learn more about ITAR here.

Nice to Have

• Experience designing for harsh environments (thermal, vacuum, vibration, etc.).
• Familiarity with high‑speed design or impedance‑controlled layouts.
• Basic scripting or automation in Python or C for hardware test workflows.
• Exposure to radiation effects and mitigation in electronic design.
• Familiarity with EMI/EMC design practices and validation.
• Familiarity with satellite electrical systems engineering (propulsion, EPS, GNSS, ADCS, space robotics, etc.).

Compensation

The annual salary range for this role is $130,000 – $163,400. The final job level and salary will be determined based on education, qualification, knowledge, skills, ability, and experience of the selected candidate(s), specific office location, and market data. Benefits may vary depending on employment terms.

Benefits / Perks

• Extensive medical coverage, including vision and dental, flexible spending accounts, and supplemental health options.
• 401K Plan with vesting.
• Parental Leave Program.
• Paid Flexible Time Off policy.
• Lifestyle spending account.
• Commuter & parking benefits.
• Mental health resources.
• Monthly phone stipend.
• Dog‑friendly work environment and pet insurance options.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Capella Space is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and upholding equitable hiring practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic under federal, state, or local law, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. We actively encourage candidates from recognized minorities, women, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process, please notify [e-mail].