What we offer Space Kinetic provides a competitive base salary of USD 120,000 - 160,000 per yearly, plus equity-based compensation. You will benefit from a generous PTO and holiday schedule, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, a distinct performance-based bonus structure, and relocation assistance. This onsite role is based in El Segundo, CA. Space Kinetic is a space technology startup building a new architecture for space operations by translating drone technology advantages to space missions without relying on consumable fuel. The environment emphasizes urgency, ownership, and a strong commitment to changing the fundamentals of how we operate in space.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and validate schematics, PCB layouts, circuit cards, electrical interfaces, and supporting hardware for spacecraft and related systems.
- Own the circuit card design from concept through schematic capture, layout, bring-up, debugging, testing, and release.
- Create analog, digital, mixed-signal, and power electronics for embedded systems, sensors, actuators, controllers, and flight hardware.
- Perform component selection, circuit analysis, worst-case analysis, derating reviews, and design trade studies.
- Support PCB stack-up definition, grounding strategies, signal integrity, power integrity, and EMI/EMC practices.
- Collaborate with mechanical and thermal teams to address electronics packaging, board-level thermal management, heat dissipation, and environmental constraints.
- Develop and execute electrical test plans for circuit cards, subsystems, and integrated hardware.
- Work with firmware, software, and controls teams to integrate electronics with embedded processors, sensors, communication interfaces, and control systems.
- Support design for manufacturability and design for test, prototype builds, supplier coordination, and transition from development to repeatable production.
- Lead rapid design iterations in a hands-on environment where hardware is designed, built, tested, and improved quickly.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- 7+ years of professional electrical engineering experience.
- Experience designing electrical hardware, circuit cards, schematics, and PCBs for spacecraft, satellites, aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability applications.
- Experience working on spacecraft hardware or spacecraft electrical systems, including flight electronics or avionics.
- Strong grounding in analog and digital circuit design.
- Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB design using Altium Designer.
- Experience owning board-level hardware through design, layout, bring-up, debugging, and testing.
- Experience selecting components and working with datasheets, reference designs, and supplier documentation.
- Solid engineering fundamentals and the ability to make sound design decisions with incomplete information.
Technologies
Location
Onsite at Space Kinetic headquarters in El Segundo, CA.
Benefits
- Competitive Base Salary + Equity-Based Compensation
- Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure
- Relocation assistance
ITAR and Compliance
To comply with U.S. Government export regulations, candidates must be eligible to meet ITAR requirements. Acceptable statuses include U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain the necessary authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Application questions
- Do you have experience designing electrical hardware, circuit cards, schematics, and PCBs for spacecraft, satellites, aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability applications, or experience with spacecraft hardware or electrical systems?
- Do you have experience with schematic capture and PCB design using Altium Designer, or experience owning board-level hardware through design, layout, bring-up, debugging, and testing?
