Contract Communications Systems Architect (Deep Space) $140 – $160/hour 4-month contract — highly likely to extend Part-time: approx. 20–25 hours per week Remote (US-based)
A stealth-mode space startup is hiring a Communications Systems Architect on contract to own the comms subsystem design for a Mars-capable satellite bus. The mission: a commercial interplanetary communications constellation, targeting launch in 2029.
This isn’t a support seat. The architecture is yours to define. The founders are flight-hardware operators who have shipped mission-critical space systems from concept through flight ops — they want an engineer who can take the comms subsystem from Conceptual Design Review through Preliminary Design Review and produce documentation that stands up to scrutiny.
What you’ll be doing
Defining the communications subsystem architecture for a Mars-compatible satellite bus, driving design decisions through CoDR and PDR
Developing preliminary comms performance analyses and deep-space link budgets
Building a Mars mission link analysis covering both relay and direct-to-Earth concepts, with enough depth to anchor CoDR and PDR decisions
Leading candidate architecture trade studies and command & telemetry architecture definition
Owning interface definition across complex system boundaries
Producing all CoDR and PDR data deliverables to programme schedule milestones
What you’ll deliver
Phase 1 — Comms CoDR package
Phase 2 — Comms PDR package
What you’ll need
Proven experience architecting a communications system for a lunar or Mars mission — this is the core requirement
Strong RF and satellite comms subsystem design background, including deep-space link budget analysis
Experience leading architecture trade studies and interface definition
Comfortable with formal design review processes (CoDR, PDR) and the documentation discipline that comes with them
Self-directed and delivery-focused — able to operate in a lean, early-stage environment
US-based
Nice to have
Relay vs direct-to-Earth architecture trade experience
Command and telemetry architecture design for interplanetary mission profiles
Prior contract or interim work — you land and add value fast
Interested Click apply with an updated copy of your CV. I’ll come back to you within 48 hours. If you don’t hear back within 48 hours, please assume you haven’t been successful on this occasion.
Are you an experienced Electrical Power Systems Engineer looking to design the next generation of power systems that will operate on the Moon?
We're partnered with an innovative space robotics company developing advanced lunar vehicles and autonomous systems for future human exploration. They're looking for a Lead Electrical Power Systems Engineer to take ownership of the vehicle's Electrical Power System (EPS), leading the architecture and development of high-voltage power electronics that will power critical lunar missions.
This is a highly technical leadership role where you'll influence the complete electrical architecture while remaining hands-on with hardware design, integration and testing.
What You'll Be Doing
Lead the architecture and development of the vehicle Electrical Power System (EPS).
Design high-voltage (120V+) power distribution, conditioning, protection and control systems.
Own electrical hardware development from concept through flight, including requirements, schematics, PCB layout, design reviews, testing and integration.
Develop vehicle-level power architectures supporting batteries, motor drives, charging systems, power conversion and mission-critical loads.
Design solutions for regenerative braking, motor control, transient suppression, fault protection and energy management.
Perform engineering trade studies balancing performance, reliability, safety, mass and cost.
Collaborate with systems, software, mechanical, thermal and harnessing teams to deliver fully integrated vehicle hardware.
Support hardware bring-up, troubleshooting, EMI/EMC testing, environmental testing and vehicle integration.
Define verification strategies and support qualification testing.
Work with suppliers on power electronics, motors, batteries and related hardware.
Provide technical leadership through design reviews, customer reviews and flight readiness activities.
Mentor junior electrical engineers and help establish engineering best practices.
What We're Looking For
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
12+ years of experience designing high-voltage or high-power electrical systems.
Strong background developing power electronics, electrical power distribution systems or motor control systems.
Experience designing systems operating above 100VDC.
Strong knowledge of power conversion, protection, fault detection, power switching and high-current distribution.
Experience with electric vehicles, aerospace, industrial power systems or other safety-critical hardware.
Hands-on experience with hardware integration, debugging and root cause analysis.
Proficiency with Altium Designer.
Strong understanding of EMI/EMC design for high-power electronics.
Able to lead complex technical programmes while remaining hands-on.
Excellent communication skills and ability to work within a fast-paced engineering environment.
Must be a U.S. Person.
Nice to Have
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
Experience with aerospace, spaceflight or electric vehicle power systems.
Experience supporting NASA or Class A flight hardware.
Knowledge of battery systems, Battery Management Systems (BMS) and power conversion.
Familiarity with aerospace electrical design standards.
Experience developing hardware for harsh environments, including vibration, vacuum and thermal extremes.
Previous experience within a commercial space startup.
Why Join?
You'll play a key role in developing the electrical backbone of one of the world's most advanced lunar vehicles. This is an opportunity to lead the design of high-voltage power systems that will operate in one of the harshest environments imaginable, while working alongside a multidisciplinary team solving some of the most challenging engineering problems in space exploration.
If you're excited by high-power electronics, technical ownership, and building hardware that will help return humans to the Moon, we'd love to hear from you.
Are you an Electrical Engineer who wants to design hardware that will operate on the Moon?
We're partnered with one of the fastest-growing space robotics companies in the industry, developing next-generation lunar vehicles and autonomous systems that will support humanity's return to the lunar surface. As they continue to scale, they're looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to own the design and development of complex electrical hardware for spaceflight applications.
This is a hands-on engineering role where you'll take hardware from concept through to integration, working alongside mechanical, software, systems, thermal and manufacturing teams in a fast-paced environment.
What You'll Be Doing
Design and develop electrical hardware for spaceflight systems from concept through production.
Create schematics, support PCB layout, board bring-up, verification and troubleshooting.
Design mixed-signal electronics incorporating digital, analog, sensing, control and power systems.
Develop board-level power architecture including DC/DC converters, power distribution, sequencing and protection.
Support high-speed interfaces including Ethernet, LVDS, PCIe, SpaceWire and similar communication protocols.
Work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to integrate hardware across complete vehicle systems.
Support component selection including processors, FPGAs, memories, connectors and power electronics.
Maintain ECAD libraries and engineering documentation.
Participate in functional, environmental, EMI/EMC and system-level testing.
What We're Looking For
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
3+ years of experience developing electrical hardware for aerospace, space, defence or other safety-critical industries.
Strong experience with schematic capture and PCB design.
Solid understanding of analog and digital electronics.
Experience with communication protocols such as SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, USB, RS-422/485 or SpaceWire.
Experience with board-level power design and power conversion.
Hands-on board bring-up, debugging and hardware integration experience.
Comfortable working independently and making sound engineering trade-offs.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving engineering environment.
Must be a U.S. Person.
Nice to Have
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
Experience with Altium Designer.
FPGA or embedded processor experience.
EMI/EMC design and mitigation.
Familiarity with NASA or aerospace hardware standards.
Experience supporting spaceflight or human spaceflight programs.
High-reliability PCB design for harsh environments.
Why Join?
You'll be joining a company at the forefront of lunar exploration, working on hardware that will operate in one of the harshest environments imaginable. Engineers here have genuine ownership, move quickly, and work alongside some of the brightest minds in space robotics.
If you're looking for a role where your designs will help shape the future of space exploration, we'd love to hear from you.
We're working with a fast-moving space company that needs a Loads & Dynamics Engineer to own the dynamic environments side of its hardware programmes. This isn't documentation-heavy compliance work — it's hands-on analysis where you'll derive environments, get test data in the room, and correlate it back against your models.
The core need is loads & dynamics, but there's a meaningful stress/FEA component alongside it. The ideal hire is a dynamics-focused engineer who can also carry a heavier Nastran workload and hold their own on stress — someone comfortable across both rather than a pure specialist in one. Depending on background, this could also be scoped as two separate engagements (loads & dynamics and stress), so strong candidates weighted toward either side are worth a conversation.
You won't need to be a career-long specialist, but you do need real depth in the discipline and the confidence to work directly with customers.
What you'll be doing
Loads & dynamics (primary)
Deriving dynamic environments and structural loads for spacecraft and launch hardware
Vibro-acoustics, random vibration, shock response, and structural dynamics analysis
Building system-level FE models and generating super-elements for customer delivery
Planning and correlating test campaigns — collecting data and reconciling it with your models
Iterating directly with customers on coupled loads and integrated analysis
Stress / FEA (alongside)
Detailed stress and structural analysis, hand calculations, and margins of safety
Heavier Nastran/FEA workload supporting the analysis effort
Desktop analysis work, largely remote
What we're looking for
Strong loads & dynamics background gained in space or defence
Proven experience deriving environments, running test campaigns, and correlating models to data
Solid stress/FEA capability — hands-on with Nastran (Femap, Patran, or equivalent an advantage)
Ideal: engineers out of new space — the pace, ownership, and end-to-end analysis culture of companies like Blue Origin, SpaceX, Rocket Lab, or Relativity map directly onto how this team works.
Also welcome: defence backgrounds, particularly propulsion (liquid or solid), missile, or high-speed aircraft systems.
Logistics
Contract engagement
Fully remote — largely desktop analysis, with no foreseeable on-site requirement (any minimal site coordination would be years out and hardware-dependent)
We are seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to join an innovative team developing advanced electronic systems for space applications. This is a hands-on engineering role suited to someone who enjoys taking hardware from concept through to production and test.
Responsibilities
Design and develop electronic hardware for demanding space environments.
Create schematics and support PCB design throughout the full development lifecycle.
Work closely with manufacturing partners to ensure successful production and assembly.
Lead board bring-up, debugging, verification and validation activities.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to integrate hardware with embedded systems and FPGA-based designs.
Support hardware testing, troubleshooting and continuous product improvement.
Requirements
Proven experience developing electronics for space applications (essential).
Strong background in PCB design, schematic capture and hardware development.
Experience supporting manufacturing, board bring-up, debugging and testing.
Familiarity with FPGA-based systems, microcontrollers and embedded hardware.
Experience designing low-power electronic systems is highly desirable.
Strong understanding of digital and analogue electronics, with excellent problem-solving skills.
Location
This position is based on-site in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Relocation assistance is available for exceptional candidates.
We are partnering with an ambitious space launch company developing next-generation launch vehicle technology. Backed by significant funding and led by engineers from some of the world's most successful aerospace organisations, they are building critical flight systems from the ground up.
This is a rare opportunity to become the first Electrical Design Engineer within the business, taking ownership of flight-grade electronic hardware from initial concept through production while helping shape the future of the electrical engineering function.
If you're looking for a role where you'll have genuine ownership, influence technical direction, and see your hardware fly, we'd love to hear from you.
What You'll Do
Design high-reliability electronic hardware for flight applications.
Own the complete PCB development lifecycle, including schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, bring-up, debugging and production support.
Develop electrical architectures for power distribution, sensor interfaces, actuator control and communication systems.
Perform hardware validation, troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
Support environmental qualification including vibration, thermal and EMI/EMC testing.
Work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle.
Help establish engineering standards, processes and best practices as the team grows.
What We're Looking For
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
5+ years of experience designing electronic hardware and PCBs from concept through production.
Strong experience with schematic capture, PCB layout, hardware bring-up and validation.
Understanding of analog and digital electronics, power electronics and sensor interfaces.
Experience supporting manufacturing, production and hardware debugging.
Hands-on experience using laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes and other electronic test instrumentation.
Preferred Experience
Launch vehicle, spacecraft or satellite electronics.
High-reliability aerospace or defence electronics.
Altium Designer.
Environmental qualification including vibration, thermal, shock, TVAC or EMI/EMC testing.
Python or C/C++.
Experience defining electrical architectures and system requirements.
Why Join?
Founding member of the electrical engineering team.
Own hardware from concept through flight.
Work alongside experienced aerospace engineers building cutting-edge launch technology.
Fast-moving engineering environment with genuine technical ownership.
Competitive salary, equity and long-term career growth.
Our client are an exciting fast paced Aerospace client looking for an experienced Low Voltage Electrical Engineer to lead the design and commissioning of a clean-sheet industrial power generation platform designed for mission-critical infrastructure where reliable, high-density power is essential. Every electrical system is being designed from first principles, creating a rare opportunity for an experienced engineer to shape an entire platform from concept through commissioning.
This isn't a role maintaining legacy equipment or making incremental improvements. You'll own the low-voltage electrical architecture across a complex industrial machine, making the design decisions that define how the platform operates for years to come.
Responsibilities:
You'll lead the design and integration of low-voltage electrical systems across the machine, including:
Defining the overall LV electrical architecture and system interfaces.
Designing power distribution, control, protection, and instrumentation systems spanning 480VAC through to 12–28VDC electronics.
Integrating motors, VFDs, actuators, sensors, control panels, and auxiliary equipment.
Working closely with mechanical, controls, and systems engineers to develop fully integrated solutions.
Supporting prototype builds, first energisation, troubleshooting, commissioning, and validation testing.
Investigating problems on hardware, identifying root causes, and implementing practical engineering solutions.
Key Areas of Ownership:
Low-voltage power distribution and conversion.
Machine control and actuation.
Instrumentation and field wiring.
Control panel, harness, cable, and junction box design.
Grounding, bonding, shielding, and EMC.
Motor control systems.
Auxiliary systems including cooling, lubrication, fuel handling, emissions equipment, and enclosure services.
Electrical interfaces with control systems and automation.
Ideal Background:
Experience designing and commissioning low-voltage electrical systems for industrial equipment, rotating machinery, power generation, or similar applications.
Strong knowledge of 480VAC industrial power systems alongside 12–28VDC control and instrumentation circuits.
Experience producing high-quality electrical documentation, including schematics, wiring diagrams, cable schedules, and I/O lists.
A practical, hands-on approach with the confidence to support build, test, fault-finding, and commissioning activities.
Excellent collaboration skills and the ability to work across mechanical, controls, and systems engineering disciplines.
Our client are an exciting fast paced Aerospace client looking for an experienced Medium Voltage Electrical Engineer to lead the design and commissioning of a large-scale industrial power generation system, taking ownership of the medium-voltage electrical infrastructure from concept through commissioning.
This is an opportunity to design a standalone 13.8kV power system for a high-power industrial application where reliability, protection, and performance are critical. You'll be responsible for defining how the system generates, distributes, protects, and controls electrical power in both islanded and grid-connected operating modes.
Unlike conventional projects that rely on existing utility infrastructure, this role involves developing the electrical system architecture from first principles, solving complex challenges around voltage regulation, protection, synchronization, transient performance, and system resilience.
Responsibilities include:
Define the medium-voltage electrical architecture, single-line diagrams, protection philosophy, and operating concepts.
Specify and support procurement of switchgear, generator circuit breakers, transformers, and other long-lead electrical equipment.
Our client is an innovative space technology company developing next-generation infrastructure to support the growing orbital economy. Their mission is to transform how energy and data are generated, transmitted, and managed in space, enabling new capabilities for satellite operations, on-orbit computing, and secure optical communications.
They are seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer to support the development, analysis, and validation of advanced aerospace systems. This role is ideal for an experienced engineer with strong expertise in astrodynamics, mission analysis, modelling and simulation, and systems engineering.
You'll contribute to mission design, trajectory analysis, orbital operations, and the development of autonomous flight dynamics capabilities, working closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to shape next-generation spacecraft and mission architectures. Responsibilities:
Develop and analyze launch vehicle and spacecraft trajectories, including ascent, orbit insertion, and orbital maneuvers
Perform orbital propagation and station-keeping analysis for spacecraft operations
Support mission design including launch window analysis, delta-V budgets, and contingency planning
Interface with flight software and GNC teams to validate and optimize guidance profiles
Contribute to development of in-house simulation tools and flight dynamics infrastructure
Engage in multi-disciplinary vehicle systems investigations to motivate mission design, vehicle architecture, and analysis methodologies
Develop and evaluate flight termination system mission rules
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Space Systems, or Software Engineering, or an equivalent Engineering or Applied Physics degree.
Experience with orbital mechanics, classical dynamics, modeling, and simulation
Mission analysis with STK, Astrogator, GMAT, Monte, Copernicus, or equivalent.
Python software development
Desirable Qualifications:
Experience with launch vehicles, spacecraft, missiles, hypersonics, UAVs, or defense systems
Orbit determination analysis with ODTK, Orekit, or equivalent
Team and/or software project management experience
We are looking to add a Senior Wire Harness Design Engineer I to join our team. If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing leading-edge hardware for satellites, spacecraft, and aerospace systems, we would like to hear from you.
This role focuses on designing the critical power, digital, analog, and RF interconnects that turn boxes into systems. You will have the opportunity to take full ownership of wire harness designs, including schematic development, cable routing, connector selection, and harness assembly drawings. The environment is highly collaborative, working shoulder-to-shoulder with electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and harness assembly technicians to develop cutting-edge space and airborne systems.
The role encompasses the full design process, from defining initial specifications through integration and test. You will also participate in design reviews, providing technical expertise and recommendations to enhance the performance and reliability of wire harness systems.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Impact the design and development of high-complexity wire harnesses across space and airborne systems and associated GSE.
Influence requirements and workmanship standards for harness design
Cultivate preferred parts listing based on component reliability, availability, and manufacturability
Converge on definition of design for EMI / EMC compliance, radiation tolerance and space charging environments
Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure harness designs align with system-level requirements for performance, manufacturability, and reliability.
Support integration, testing, and troubleshooting of harness systems at the box, subsystem, and platform levels.
Influence design standards and contribute to process improvements to advance the maturity of the wire harness discipline.
Work directly with suppliers and contract manufacturers to manage supply chain, build quality and schedule outcomes
Present technical solutions in internal and external design reviews; serve as the subject matter expert for interconnect systems.
JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering from an accredited university.
6 years of relevant industry or university research experience.
Proficiency in harness design tools such as Capital Essentials or Zuken E3.
Solid understanding of electrical/mechanical engineering principles, wire routing, controlled impedance, cable shielding, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) considerations.
Ability to conduct thorough analysis and testing of wire harness designs to ensure compliance with applicable industry standards, safety regulations, and performance requirements.
Knowledge of industry standards and regulations related to wire harness design, such as IPC-WHMA-A-620 and/or NASA-STD 8739.4A.
Skilled with high-reliability components such as D38999, Micro-D, Nano-D connectors and M227569/M27500 series of wire.
Detail-oriented approach with a high level of accuracy in design documentation and technical specifications.
Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
Aerospace industry experience.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
Experience designing for space environments.
Hands-on experience assembling wire harnesses.
IPC-WHMA-A-620 harness build certification.
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