System Engineer - Safety / Fault Protection

Job Description

Job Description

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.

What You'll Do:

We are seeking a System Engineer with a focus on Safety / Fault Protection to ensure our space vehicles can safely and reliably accomplish their missions. This role will identify mission risks, evaluate off-nominal conditions, and influence spacecraft architecture, verification planning, and fault-protection strategies for government space programs.

Job Responsibilities:

• Perform hazard analyses, fault tree analyses, FMEAs, and other safety assessments.
• Identify hazard controls, residual risks, and single-point, common-cause, and cascading failures.
• Develop fault detection, isolation, containment, recovery, and safing requirements.
• Evaluate spacecraft architecture, autonomy, modes, command paths, and off-nominal behavior.
• Translate safety objectives into verifiable system and subsystem requirements.
• Verify hazard controls through analysis, testing, simulation, and fault injection.
• Support anomaly investigations, corrective actions, design reviews, readiness reviews, and customer safety reviews.
• Maintain traceability across hazards, controls, requirements, procedures, and verification evidence.

What It Takes:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering or a related field.
• 3–7 years of experience with spacecraft, launch vehicles, autonomous systems, or other safety-critical systems.
• Experience in system safety, reliability, fault management, mission assurance, or spacecraft systems engineering.
• Knowledge of spacecraft subsystem interactions and end-to-end vehicle operations.
• Experience with fault protection, hazard assessments, fault tree analyses, FMEAs, or similar methods.
• Experience developing and verifying technical requirements across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Strong technical writing, communication, and risk-informed engineering judgment.

What We'd Love:

• Experience with range safety and AFSPCMAN 91-710.
• Knowledge of COTS space-rating assessments or low Earth orbit radiation risks.
• Experience with spacecraft fault management, autonomous safing, or mission-recovery architectures.
• Experience with fault injection, hardware-in-the-loop testing, Monte Carlo analysis, or mission simulations.
• Experience supporting NASA, the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, or other government space programs.
• Experience with MBSE and requirements tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw, SysML, DOORS, or Jama.
• Active or previously held U.S. government security clearance.

What We Offer:

• Equity-Based Compensation
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 3.5% company match
• Highly Competitive PTO
• Paid company holidays + winter break 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Unique Performance-based bonus opportunities

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

$135,000—$165,000 USD