Chief Engineer - Astrobotic Technology Inc

Astrobotic is at the forefront of advancing space exploration and technology development. Our expertise spans from lunar rovers, landers, and infrastructure to spacecraft navigation, machine vision, and computing systems for in-space robotic applications. To date, the company has been contracted for two lunar missions, and has won more than 60 NASA, DoD, and commercial technology contracts worth more than $600 million.     

We recently launched and operated the first American lunar lander mission since the Apollo Program.  Beyond helping lead America back to the Moon, Astrobotic developed and operates reusable vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) rockets and continues to advance next-generation VTVL capabilities and advanced rocket engines. Established in 2007, Astrobotic is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, with a propulsion and test campus in Mojave, CA. 

Astrobotic Technology wants you to bring your substantial spacecraft expertise to guide the engineering team through the spacecraft development lifecycle using sound engineering principles and standards. This position serves on the leadership team of the Landers & Spacecraft Department and therefore has a substantial influence in strategic planning and mission success. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Work as Astrobotic’s technical expert in the overall design, development and testing of spacecraft and related technologies
• Support system concept development, system architecture development, system and subsystem requirements development, systems analysis and trade studies, and systems modeling and simulation
• Coordinate cross functional teams and lead cross functional team meetings to ensure engineering solutions comply with mission and business needs
• Assess technical risks to the program at the system and subsystem level and report these risks to management along with recommended mitigations
• Support multiple mission spacecraft architectures, ensuring that designs stay within the scope and vision of the overall department
• Participate in internal and vendor milestone reviews and provide feedback as to engineering solution adequacy for overall mission and business needs
• Lead team discussions to identify or develop innovative vehicle architecture, technologies, and operations for use in current or future missions
• Write and develop system objectives, con-ops, requirements and metrics
• Refine overall team processes and engineering standards according to department and business needs
• Apply understanding of system development to forecast and mitigate risks and lead development teams through complex technical issue resolution efforts
• Ensure proposals and program design implementation align to guiding principles and risk posture

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• B.S. in Engineering or related technical field and 10+ years of relevant space mission experience (at least 5 years in a leadership role).
• Demonstrated experience as the technical lead implementing the full life cycle of spacecraft design, development, manufacturing, testing, and operations
• Demonstrated experience designing, integrating and testing spacecraft subsystems including direct experience in one or more of the following areas of spaceflight systems development: structure/thermal design and analysis, avionics, power systems, propulsion, mission services, systems engineering, mission operations, integration, or mission management
• Demonstrated experience operating in an AS9100 or ISO9000 environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, experienced working with a wide variety of engineers with different skill levels and backgrounds
• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to adapt quickly, think creatively, make critical technical decisions, and take initiative in a fast-paced environment

Desired Skills & Qualifications:

• Demonstrated direct, hands-on experience with space system integration and testing, including cleanroom operations
• Advanced Degree in Engineering or related technical field
• Demonstrated experience working in an agile environment, using organizational tools such as Confluence and Jira
• Experience with requirements management tools such as JAMA
• Demonstrated experience developing process plans in support of development, manufacturing, or operations
• Candidate should be eligible of obtaining a security clearance

The base salary range represents the low and high end of the anticipated salary range for this position. The actual base salary offered for this position will depend on numerous factors including individual performance, business objectives, and the candidates professional experience.  Base salary is just one component of Astrobotic’s competitive total rewards strategy.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Astrobotic Technology, Inc. does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.