Systems / Electronics Engineer – Spacecraft & Optical Payloads

EVONA; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

EVONA in Denver is seeking a Systems/Electronics Engineer to advance Earth observation satellite hardware and optical payloads. The role spans from architectural trade studies to detailed interface definitions, requiring strong electronics knowledge and hands-on troubleshooting.

You will work across spacecraft, payload, ground, software, and mission teams, interpreting schematics and PCB layouts while guiding electronics integration and reliability for a next-generation constellation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline.
• At least three years of experience supporting space-based optical remote sensing payloads or comparable hardware systems.
• Experience developing interfaces between spacecraft and payload systems.
• Ability to interpret electrical schematics, system block diagrams, and PCB layouts.
• Working knowledge of MATLAB and Python; quick learner of additional engineering tools.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical interface between the imaging payload and spacecraft bus.
• Ensure compatibility and optimize performance across electrical, mechanical, thermal, timing, and data interfaces.
• Lead system-level trade studies covering performance, cost, risk, and technology insertion.
• Model and evaluate payload power, data-volume, timing, and electrical interactions.
• Develop and maintain electrical Interface Control Documents and system design documentation.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and flight-ready components for mission concepts.
• Support major technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR).
• Collaborate with spacecraft, payload, ground, software, and mission teams to ensure system performance.

Skills

MATLAB

Python

Interface control

System thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/ Aerospace Engineering or related

Tools

PCB/schematics interpretation

FPGAs/ processors

Job description

Systems / Electronics Engineer – Spacecraft & Optical Payloads

Hybrid: Office Tuesday–Thursday, remote Monday and Friday

U.S. citizenship and active Secret clearance, or ability to obtain one, required

A leading commercial satellite imagery and geospatial intelligence organization is hiring a Systems / Electronics Engineer to support the development of its next-generation Earth observation satellite constellation.

This is a broad systems engineering position with a strong electronics focus. You will work across spacecraft platforms, high-performance optical payloads, laser communications, onboard processing, and the wider systems required to turn satellite data into operational imagery products.

The team owns the complete development lifecycle, including mission and system architecture, requirements, supplier coordination, manufacturing, integration, testing, launch, and initial on-orbit operations.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Own the technical interface between the imaging payload and spacecraft bus.
• Ensure compatibility and optimize performance across electrical, mechanical, thermal, timing, and data interfaces.
• Lead and support system-level trade studies covering performance, cost, technical risk, and technology insertion.
• Model and evaluate payload power, data-volume, timing, and electrical interactions.
• Develop and maintain electrical Interface Control Documents and other system design documentation.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, commercial hardware, flight-ready components, and new mission concepts.
• Assess the system-level integration feasibility of new electronics and payload technologies.
• Support major technical reviews, including SRR, PDR, and CDR.
• Work with spacecraft, payload, ground, software, and mission teams to ensure system performance and reliability.
• Interpret schematics, block diagrams, and PCB layouts to understand the system-level impact of hardware changes.
• Troubleshoot payload and spacecraft electronics, potentially down to circuit level depending on experience.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• At least three years of experience supporting space-based optical remote sensing payloads or comparable complex hardware systems.
• Experience developing and managing interfaces between spacecraft and payload systems.
• Strong understanding of electrical interfaces and cross-functional spacecraft integration.
• Experience developing specifications, requirements, and Interface Control Documents.
• Ability to interpret electrical schematics, system block diagrams, and PCB layouts.
• Experience assessing the broader system implications of component-level or circuit-level design changes.
• Working knowledge of MATLAB and Python, with the ability to quickly learn additional engineering tools.
• Familiarity with modern electronics technologies, including FPGAs, processors, memory, and data-storage devices.
• Experience working across payload, spacecraft, software, ground, and operational teams.
• Strong technical communication and multidisciplinary collaboration skills.

Particularly Valuable Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Electrical systems engineering experience on spacecraft or other space platforms.
• Optical imaging payloads, including visible, multispectral, or hyperspectral systems.
• Understanding of imaging performance metrics such as signal-to-noise ratio and modulation transfer function.
• STK, SPICE, HFSS, signal-integrity tools, or power-integrity analysis software.
• Laser communications or high-rate spacecraft data systems.
• Fault management, redundancy architectures, and reliability engineering for long-duration missions.
• Familiarity with NASA, JPL, ECSS, MIL-STD-1547, IPC, or comparable space-industry standards.
• Experience supporting spacecraft manufacturing, integration, environmental testing, launch, or early on-orbit operations.

This is an opportunity to work on highly integrated satellite systems where electronics, payload performance, spacecraft design, and mission capability are closely connected.

The successful engineer will combine strong systems thinking with practical electronics knowledge and will be comfortable moving between high-level architecture, interface definition, detailed hardware analysis, and hands-on troubleshooting.