Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineer

El Segundo, California

A New Paradigm For Space Operations.

Who We Are:

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a 'one-to-many' system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

Position Overview:

The Electrical Engineer will play a critical role in designing, building, and maturing prototypes for Space Kinetic's core technology. You will support the team in refining the electrical architecture of the current prototype and driving the system closer to a flight-ready configuration with each iteration. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys taking concepts from schematic to hardware, solving complex electrical challenges, and working closely with mechanical and manufacturing teams to bring cutting-edge space hardware to life.

What You'll Do:

• Design, develop, and build electrical prototypes for Space Kinetic's core technology.
• Refine and finalize the current prototype's electrical design to support all phases of prototype maturation.
• Undertake and complete circuit design tasks, generate detailed schematics, and perform component selection aligned with environmental and system requirements.
• Apply detailed tolerancing, design-for-manufacture principles, and thorough documentation across all electrical prototype phases.
• Support PCB layout design and coordinate with external vendors for fabrication and assembly of PCB components.
• Collaborate closely with the Space Kinetic manufacturing and engineering team to integrate electrical systems into mechanical assemblies.
• Verify and validate your electrical designs through testing, troubleshooting, debugging, and iteration to improve system reliability and performance.
• Actively participate in design reviews, contribute to system-level engineering discussions, and ensure the electrical subsystem progresses toward flight-readiness.
• Support the creation and maintenance of electrical documentation, including BOMs, wiring diagrams, interface control documents (ICDs), and test procedures.
• Ensure each design iteration moves the system closer to a flight-ready prototype aligned with Space Kinetic's 2-year flight demonstration goal.

What It Takes:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematic) field.
• A minimum of 3–5 years of hands-on electrical engineering experience, ideally involving prototype development.
• Experience designing three phase field-oriented controllers for bidirectional motor drives.
• Proficiency in circuit design, schematic creation, and component selection.
• Experience working with Schematic / PCB design tools (e.g., Altium).
• Demonstrated experience building and testing electrical systems or prototypes.
• Strong understanding of electronics fundamentals, wiring practices, and system integration.
• Ability to troubleshoot circuits, debug hardware, and iterate rapidly.
• Experience collaborating with vendors for PCB fabrication and assembly.
• Excellent documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skill
• Ability to build and maintain a network of talented individuals. Prioritizes organizational and planning skills.
• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder).
• Ability to maintain or obtain a Government Security Clearance.

What We'd Love:

• Experience developing hardware for aerospace, defense, robotics, or similarly rigorous applications.
• Familiarity with design-for-manufacture (DFM), design-for-test (DFT), and tolerance analysis.
• Knowledge of embedded systems, field oriented controls, microcontrollers, sensors, and power electronics.
• Experience with environmental or functional testing of electrical systems.
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, logic analyzers).
• Ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving requirements.

Where You'll Be:

• The position will be on site at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA.

What We Offer:

• Competitive Base Salary + Equity-Based Compensation
• Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure
• Health and Wellness Stipend
• Commuter Benefits

ITAR Requirements: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here

Equal Employment Opportunity: Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.

Pay Range

$97,000 - $125,000 USD