Head of Avionics

San Carlos, Californiafull timeOn Site

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Head of Avionics at Cowboyspace · LumiJobs

senior

$200k–$250k

H1B: no

Cowboyspace Head of Avionics at Cowboy Space Corporation leads design, development, and integration of avionics systems for spacecraft platforms. Owns system architecture and execution for flight computers and critical interfaces under real-time, safety-critical constraints.

Responsibilities

We are looking for a Head of Avionics to lead the design, development, and integration of avionics systems across our spacecraft platform. This role will own the architecture and execution of avionics systems, including flight computers and critical interfaces that enable control, communication, and power management on orbit.
This is a critical leadership role with significant ownership over system architecture, team building, and execution.
Define the technical vision and roadmap for avionics across spacecraft platforms
Own system architecture across avionics, hardware interfaces, and system integration
Lead the design and development of avionics systems, peripheral interfaces, EMI/EMC, embedded architecture, and rapid integrated testing infrastructure.
Build and lead a team of avionics engineers, setting technical direction and development standards
Ensure robust communication across subsystems and subsystem leads
Drive end-to-end development from concept through design, integration, validation, and flight readiness
Collaborate cross-functionally with other spacecraft teams to ensure seamless system integration
Establish testing, validation, and qualification strategies for avionics systems, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and simulation environments
Ensure robust communication across subsystems and subsystem leads
Optimize systems for performance within constraints of power, thermal, and radiation environments

Qualification

Real-time operating systems (RTOS)MicrocontrollersHardware/software integrationDesignedBuilt and operated telemetryDeveloped and used HITLBuilt systems requiring deterministic

Required

10+ years of experience in avionics engineering
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
Experience designing and shipping embedded or avionics systems in production environments
Strong background in one or more of the following:
Real-time operating systems (RTOS)
Microcontrollers, SoCs, or FPGA-based systems
Hardware/software integration
Experience leading technical projects or engineering teams with increasing scope and ownership
Strong understanding of system architecture and embedded system design principles

Preferred

Designed, built, and flown (or deployed) avionics or embedded systems for spacecraft or other mission-critical systems
Deep understanding of radiation effects (SEE, TID) and have implemented mitigation strategies at the system and component level
Designed systems under aggressive SWaP constraints and made hard tradeoffs between performance, reliability, and resource usage
Hands-on experience bringing up and debugging hardware and embedded systems using common interfaces (SPI, I2C, CAN, UART, Ethernet, SpaceWire)
Built and operated telemetry, command, and data handling (C&DH) systems in production or flight environments
Developed and used HITL, simulation, and automated test systems to validate hardware and software
Built systems requiring deterministic, real-time performance in safety-critical environments
Owned systems end-to-end—from architecture through bring-up, integration, test, and deployment

Benefits

Dental
Vision
401(k)
PTO
Equity/RSU
Parental Leave

Company

Cowboyspace

View company page

Source: ashby

Active within the past hour

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