Staff Engineer - Spacecraft System Safety - Terran Orbital

Be more than just an employee number!  Join Terran Orbital, a leader in innovation, manufacturing, and operations in the satellite industry. We are a pioneer in the miniaturization of space technologies and the delivery of responsive space solutions. We are a unique, fast-growing, and trusted team focused on quickly and economically designing, building, launching, and operating state-of-the-art satellites for advanced mission constellations.   

Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Staff Engineer – Spacecraft System Safety to join our growing team. Reporting to the Director, Mission Assurance, the Staff Spacecraft System Safety Engineer will work with a multidisciplinary team - specifically engineering, production, test, quality, and supply chain - to analyze system designs and operations for potential failure modes. The Staff Spacecraft System Safety Engineer is responsible for identifying, analyzing, and controlling potential design, facility, and operational hazards and risks related to the satellite system and impacts on other satellite hardware. The Staff System Safety Engineer will utilize tools and strategies to avoid potential failure modes and hazards (e.g., Fault Tree Analysis and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) to support the design, manufacturing, and test teams for holistic system lifecycle safety. The Staff System Safety Engineer provides assurance to deliver affordable, high-performance satellite systems that successfully complete the product lifecycle and meet internal specifications and customer contract requirements while maintaining hardware and personnel safety. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with responsible engineers to identify potential safety failure modes, properly analyze risks, and implement preventative mitigations to eliminate, reduce, and/or control risks and hazards. 
• Perform hazard and failure analyses across the complete system, including payload and launch vehicle interfaces. 
• Analyze and review system designs, interfaces, environments, and historical data/trends to identify potential safety issues or risks and take measures to mitigate them. 
• Perform system safety analyses to meet customer contract requirements. 
• Identify regulatory and non-regulatory safety requirements and the functional safety requirements for system design, manufacture, test, assembly, and handling. 
• Identify issues, controls, risks, and mitigations associated with human, facility, operational, and hardware safety. 
• Participate in requirements review, system safety reviews, development and validation activities, failure causal analyses, and issue resolution. 
• Support the development and maintenance of hardware safety plans and procedures. 
• Prepare, review, and evaluate test plans, procedures, and operations for safety implications. 
• Work with module leads, subsystem leads, and system engineers to ensure the flight system operates as an integrated, safe spacecraft. 
• Evaluate design for manufacturability changes to enhance safety, production efficiency, and system/vehicle reliability. 

Requirements

• BS degree in engineering or applied sciences. 
• At least 8 years of engineering experience, preferably in aerospace. 
• Spacecraft system safety analysis experience. 
• Experience leading Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEA) and root cause analysis (RCCA). 
• Experience performing hazard analyses and identifying associated controls - including electrical, mechanical, chemical, pressure, lifting, handling, and transportation. 
• Experience leading technical reviews or investigations. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication - able to speak, listen, and write in both technical and non-technical terms across organizational boundaries and at all levels. 
• Able to work in a dynamic and fluid team environment - must be able to adapt to changing environments and priorities and thrive despite ambiguity and uncertainty.  

Additional Desired Differentiators   

• Master's degree in engineering, physical sciences, or business administration. 
• Degree or professional certification in safety engineering or systems engineering. 
• Software safety analysis experience. 
• Spacecraft propulsion system assembly, testing, and fueling experience or strong desire, capability, and motivation to gain in-depth knowledge of design, test & fueling operations.  
• Experience with aerospace customers and their mission/product assurance practices, and an understanding of satellites, space sensors, and ground systems. 

Benefits

• 100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
• 401(k) Match
• Unlimited PTO

Salary Range $120,000-$150,000     

Your actual level and base salary will be determined case-by-case and may vary based on the job-related qualification, knowledge, skills, education, and experience. In addition to base salary, we offer 100% covered medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) match, unlimited flex time off, covered life insurance, maternity and paternity leave, tuition reimbursement, employee referrals, and lots of swag!          

About Terran Orbital     

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com     

Physical Demands     

An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending, reaching, and walking. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. This position is generally sedentary, with substantial computer usage.     

Work Environment      

The job operates in a professional office environment but in a manufacturing company. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and scanners.      

Disclaimers     

To comply with US Government space technology export regulations, the applicant must be a US citizen, lawful permanent resident of the US, protected individual as defined by 8 USC 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the US Department of State. In addition, please note that this position may require a current United States National Security clearance or eligibility for such a clearance.     

Terran Orbital is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or membership in any other group protected by federal, state, or local law.       

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at hr@terranorbital.com.      

Terran Orbital does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with Terran Orbital, a Master Services Agreement (MSA) must be executed and confirmed prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed MSA, Terran Orbital shall not be responsible to any individual or entity for any payment relating to any form of fee or compensation.

And, in the event that a resume or candidate is submitted by a recruiter, an employment agency, or a staffing firm without a fully executed MSA, Terran Orbital has the unrestricted right to pursue and hire any of those candidate(s) without any legal or financial responsibility to the recruiter, agency, and/or firm.