Space Optical Systems Engineer - Flight Hardware & AIT

Azora; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous equity

Competitive healthcare includingVision

401(k)

Job summary

Azora is developing space-grade optical terminals and supporting avionics for high-bandwidth, near‑orbit networks. This onsite/hybrid role supports system architecture, requirements, and verification within a small hardware team.

You will own architecture across terminal, avionics, structures, thermal, and interfaces, drive requirements flow-down, and manage design reviews and V&V, including environmental tests. Travel for test campaigns may occur.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Aerospace, Electrical, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• Hands-on experience with real flight hardware or flight-like hardware—demonstrated contact with actual systems.
• Working knowledge of systems engineering fundamentals: requirements, budgets (mass, power, link, pointing), V&V planning.
• Exposure to environmental qualification or AIT (vibration, shock, TVAC, EMC).
• Ability to work independently and take technical ownership of a problem.

Responsibilities

• Own space segment architecture work across optical terminal, avionics, structures, thermal, power, and interfaces to host spacecraft or bus.
• Contribute to requirements development and flow-down from mission and link-budget level to subsystem and component specifications.
• Own the design review cadence (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and the verification and validation program, including environmental qualification (vibration, shock, TVAC, EMC, radiation).
• Assist with technical interfaces to launch providers, bus manufacturers, and hosted payload partners, including ICD development.
• Support risk management and parts/materials assurance activities (EEE parts, radiation lot testing) for the flight program.
• Own assembly, integration, and test (AIT) campaigns and launch site operations; support on-orbit commissioning and anomaly resolution.

Skills

Systems engineering

Flight hardware experience

Technical ownership

Education

BS/MS in Aerospace/Electrical/Optical Eng or related

Job description

Azora is developing space-grade optical terminals and supporting avionics for high-bandwidth, near‑orbit networks. This onsite/hybrid role supports system architecture, requirements, and verification within a small hardware team.

You will own architecture across terminal, avionics, structures, thermal, and interfaces, drive requirements flow-down, and manage design reviews and V&V, including environmental tests. Travel for test campaigns may occur.