Sr. Payload Systems Engineer

EVONA; Colorado; Hybrid; USD 109,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Mental health resources

Student loan repayment assistance

Adoption reimbursement

Pet insurance

Job summary

EVONA is seeking a Senior Payload Systems Engineer in Westminster, CO with hybrid work options. You will investigate instrument performance, verify supplier compliance, and perform independent analyses to ensure imaging payloads operate on spacecraft.

Proficiency with MATLAB and space-based optical instruments is essential. The role offers the opportunity to work with imaging sensors, cameras, and infrared instruments, contributing from development through on-orbit operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Approximately 5+ years of relevant engineering experience with space-based optical instruments or similar hardware systems.
• Experience with cameras, telescopes, infrared instruments, imaging sensors, focal-plane assemblies, or instrument electronics.
• Experience contributing to instrument analysis, design, testing, verification, or operations.
• Understanding of engineering requirements and verification through analysis or testing.
• Experience using MATLAB for engineering data analysis.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain an active Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Investigate instrument performance and integration issues and help develop solutions.
• Verify supplier compliance with requirements through technical reviews, analysis, and test evidence.
• Perform independent engineering analyses of supplier results.
• Support instrument-to-spacecraft compatibility across power, mechanical connections, data interfaces, signal integrity, and timing.
• Use MATLAB to analyze engineering data, imagery, and test results.
• Evaluate instrument operating modes, command sequencing, sensor protection, and fault management.
• Collaborate with suppliers, spacecraft engineers, operations, and product teams throughout development and on-orbit operations.

Skills

Aerospace Engineering

Imaging Sensors

Systems Engineering

MATLAB

Team Collaboration

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace Eng or Physics

Tools

Camera Hardware

Infrared Instruments

Focal-Plane Assemblies

Instrument Electronics

Job description

Westminster, CO | Hybrid

$109,000–$159,500 base salary + incentive eligibility

EVONA is partnering with a satellite imagery and spatial intelligence company to hire a Senior Payload Systems Engineer supporting its next-generation satellite constellation.

If you’ve worked on imaging sensors, instrument electronics, cameras, or space telescopes and want to broaden your systems engineering expertise, this role offers the opportunity to do exactly that.

You’ll join a small engineering team, working alongside an experienced technical leader to investigate instrument challenges, evaluate supplier performance, and help ensure imaging payloads operate successfully with their spacecraft.

What You’ll Do

• Investigate instrument performance and integration issues, assess their impact, and help develop solutions.
• Verify supplier compliance with requirements through technical reviews, analysis, and test evidence.
• Perform independent engineering analysis to evaluate supplier results.
• Support instrument-to-spacecraft compatibility across power, mechanical connections, data interfaces, signal integrity, and timing.
• Use MATLAB to analyze engineering data, imagery, and test results.
• Help evaluate instrument operating modes, command sequencing, sensor protection, and fault management.
• Collaborate with suppliers, spacecraft engineers, operations, and product teams throughout development and into on-orbit operations.

What You’ll Bring

• A bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Approximately 5+ years of relevant engineering experience with space-based optical instruments or similar hardware systems.
• Experience with cameras, telescopes, infrared instruments, imaging sensors, focal-plane assemblies, or associated instrument electronics.
• Experience contributing to instrument analysis, design, testing, verification, or operations.
• Understanding of engineering requirements and verification through analysis or testing.
• Experience using MATLAB for engineering data analysis.
• Initiative, curiosity, and the ability to collaborate across technical disciplines.
• U.S. citizenship and an active Secret clearance, or the ability to obtain one.

You do not need expertise across every part of the payload. Strong experience in one instrument area, paired with a desire to develop broader systems knowledge, is welcome.

Additional Experience That Would Be Valuable

• Earth observation, remote sensing, or infrared imaging.
• Image analysis and imaging performance metrics such as SNR and MTF.
• Sensor electronics, data interfaces, or command timing.
• Supplier technical reviews and requirements verification.
• Payload integration, environmental testing, or on-orbit operations.

Why join?

• Develop from an instrument specialty into broader systems engineering.
• Learn directly from an experienced technical leader.
• Solve varied problems across development, testing, and operations.
• Contribute to a company that operates its own satellites, with opportunities to improve performance after launch.
• Work a hybrid schedule: Tuesday–Thursday onsite, with Mondays and Fridays from home.

Occasional supplier travel is expected.

The published annual base salary range is $109,000–$159,500. Actual compensation depends on experience, qualifications, and role alignment. The position is also incentive eligible. Benefits include a company-matched 401(k), mental health resources, student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement, and pet insurance.