Senior Spacecraft Engineer

Darwin Recruitment; California (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Recruitment is currently seeking a Senior Spacecraft Integration & Test Engineer to join a fast-paced environment in California, United States. This position is ideal for professionals with a strong background in spacecraft building and integration, combining hands-on contributions with leadership responsibilities. The role emphasizes expertise in assembly, troubleshooting, and environmental testing for multiple satellite programmes.

The successful candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in engineering and significant experience in integration across various platforms, with an emphasis on satellite technology. Familiarity with hardware integration tools and the ability to thrive in a cleanroom setting is essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in relevant engineering roles.
• Experience building spacecraft across multiple programmes.
• Comfortable with rotating shift patterns and cleanroom work.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware integration and testing efforts in cleanroom.
• Act as signature authority on test and assembly procedures.
• Interface closely with engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams.

Skills

Experience in spacecraft integration

Hands-on experience in test engineering

Ability to work in a cleanroom environment

Knowledge of hardware integration tools

Strong leadership skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

NI LabVIEW

DAQ hardware

Job description

Senior Spacecraft Integration & Test Engineer

Our client needs a senior ATLO engineer to take on a player coach role across assembly, integration and environmental test for a growing line of small satellites, splitting their time between hands on cleanroom work and leading the team through multiple programmes running in parallel.

If you have built spacecraft across more than one programme, want a role that keeps you close to the hardware while also giving you real influence over how the team operates, and are comfortable in a high tempo, high production environment, this is built for you.

The role

Around 40 percent of your time will be spent directly on hardware integration and test, working in the cleanroom on assembly, troubleshooting and environmental campaigns including EMI/EMC, dynamics and TVAC. The remainder is spent in a player coach capacity, leading and shaping the work of the wider ATLO team across however many programmes are running at a given time. You will act as a signature authority on test and assembly procedures, feed back into early design and proposal work to drive manufacturability improvements, and interface closely with programmes, engineering, manufacturing and quality teams. This role sits firmly in the 50/50 space between individual contribution and leadership, with genuine input into how multiple satellite programmes are built and delivered.

What you'll need

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical or scientific field with 5 or more years of relevant experience
• Hands on experience building and integrating spacecraft across at least two to three different programmes (satellite, rover, lunar or similar platforms that operate in space; launch vehicle experience would not apply here)
• Background in mechanical or electrical integration, test engineering, or spacecraft integration within aerospace, automotive or commercial production environments
• Comfortable working in a cleanroom environment and on a rotating shift pattern, including occasional travel to test or launch sites
• US Person status required

What sets candidates apart

• 7 or more years of experience specifically in space systems, ideally satellite or spacecraft integration
• Experience supporting multiple programmes concurrently in a high production small satellite environment
• Experience writing work instructions and test procedures for critical aerospace hardware
• Familiarity with hardware integration tools such as NI LabVIEW, DAQ hardware, power supplies and signal analyzers
• Active TS/SCI clearance, which would open the door to additional high level programmes