We are seeking a highly experienced Director of Avionics with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in STEM from an accredited institution. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in space system development in a leadership role, with a proven track record of delivering spaceflight hardware through the full design life cycle. A strong understanding of radiation effects on spaceflight electronics and all failure modes of spaceflight electrical components is essential.
ResponsibilitiesDrive a technical team to execute system-level and component-level design for rovers and other assets, considering all environments and operational cases.Recruit, lead, and mentor a team of people leaders, responsible engineers, systems engineers, and analysts.Facilitate autonomy and growth opportunities while achieving exceptional results.Develop and manage budgets, operational risks, and technical risks to achieve business objectives.Formulate program and technical strategies, including decisions to outsource NRE or conduct in-house development.Drive concurrent engineering across multiple disciplines to optimize execution speed while adhering to a rigorous design review process.Guide the team through technical and programmatic milestone reviews, ensuring success.
Essential SkillsExperience using design programs such as Altium, E3, or equivalent.Exposure to sensor and actuator calibration and characterization needs, methodologies, equipment, and procedures.Experience with instrumentation, sensors, and communication protocols, including DMMs, DAQ, function generators, oscilloscopes, DIO, GPIB, USB, RS-232/422/485, GigE, SPI, etc.Strong understanding of environmental testing such as shock/vibe, TVAC, burn-in, and its implications for electrical design.Ability to lead in a dynamic and flexible environment.Effective communication skills to convey complex technical subjects to diverse audiences.Proficiency in avionic hardware design and management skills.
Additional Skills & QualificationsPreferred experience with SMC-S-016.Experience with system commands and data handling, I/O management, networking, or similar analogous experience.Understanding of spaceflight electronic design principles.
Work Environment
Join a small but growing team that has expanded from 20 to 120 members. The work environment is fully flexible and remote-friendly, with options for flexible scheduling. Enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits, including equity ownership, medical, dental, vision, and mental health support, a 401(k) plan with company match, flexible PTO, and parental leave. Additionally, benefit from home office setup reimbursement, a weekly lunch stipend, complimentary snacks and beverages on-site, and twice a month social hours with food and drinks. We are deeply committed to our employees and values, fostering a strong, inclusive, and inspired team.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Hawthorne, California.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $190000.00 - $250000.00/yr.
Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
Equity ownership in the company
Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
401(k) plan with company match
Flexible PTO and parental leave
Home office set up reimbursement
Fully flexible and remote friendly work environment
Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
Twice a month social hour on-site with food and drinks
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Hawthorne,CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 18, 2025.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.