Program Chief Engineer

Turion is developing the critical infrastructure of the space economy. We're doing this by building vertically integrated hardware and software: DROID, our line of space vehicles, and Starfire, our software suite covering simulation, modeling, planning, and operations. We're a group of people who fell in love with the future sci-fi promised us, and we're building it into reality. We build hard things. We build them well. And we're just getting started.

We are seeking an exceptional Program Chief Engineer to act as technical lead for missions relying on highly maneuverable and agile small satellites, beginning with the GEO Space Domain Awareness mission set. This senior technical leadership role owns technical architecture and baseline across all facets of the mission. The Program Chief Engineer ensures that all aspects of the mission, from requirements decomposition and traceability to mission capability verification, are properly defined, progressed, and documented to meet both customer and mission success criteria.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Chief Engineering Leadership

• Serve as technical lead and authority for assigned programs, owning end-to-end satellite architecture and ensuring appropriate technical progress throughout the program lifecycle

• Drive resolution of complex cross-disciplinary technical issues, making authoritative architectural decisions that balance performance, cost, and schedule

• Lead teams through all technical milestones including, SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and PSR, and post-launch operations

• Interact directly with customers and suppliers as the primary technical point of contact to ensure mission success

Mission Definition & Technical Baseline

• Own and maintain system-level budgets ensuring the technical baseline demonstrably meets requirements and technical performance measures (mass, power, delta-V, pointing, data, link, MTF, etc.)

• Work alongside mission stakeholders to define and refine mission CONOPS, translating operational needs into rigorous system-level requirements

• Lead derivation and maintenance of system requirements, ensuring full traceability from mission-level objectives through system, subsystem, and component requirements

• Ensure requirements decomposition is executed correctly and that traceability is maintained throughout the entire technical baseline

Requirements Traceability & Compliance

• Establish and maintain robust requirements traceability frameworks to satisfy customer compliance documentation expectations

• Author and oversee Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and all systems engineering documentation required for program compliance

• Define and execute verification and validation plans (test, demonstration, analysis, inspection) at system and subsystem levels

• Track system compliance and overall performance against mission needs, proactively identifying and resolving gaps

Stakeholder & Team Leadership

• Provide top-level technical leadership across the entire mission lifecycle, including space and ground segments, from proposal and concept through design, manufacturing, test, and operations

• Collaborate with and guide multi-disciplinary engineering experts across all subsystems

• Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure mission CONOPS alignment and technical coherence

• Mentor senior and mid-level systems engineers, elevating team-wide systems engineering discipline

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field

• 12+ years of experience in spacecraft systems engineering or spacecraft design, with hands-on experience in satellite design and integration, OR 8+ years of experience with direct experience in relevant mission areas.

• Demonstrated experience serving as a Chief Program Engineer or lead systems engineer on a complete spacecraft program

• Deep expertise in requirements derivation, decomposition, and traceability from mission level through subsystems

• Proven ability to own and maintain all system-level budgets (mass, power, delta-V, pointing, link, data) across the full project lifecycle

• Experience authoring and managing compliance documentation and requirements traceability artifacts for customers

• Strong track record leading teams through formal technical milestones (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, etc.)

• Must be able to obtain a TS/SCI clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep technical experience with GEO Space Domain Awareness or other missions relying on highly maneuverable and agile spacecraft

• Deep technical experience in Electro-Optical payload design, integration, and testing

• Experience working with Department of War/Defense or Intelligence Community organizations

• 15+ years of experience in spacecraft systems engineering or spacecraft design with full product lifecycle experience: concept, preliminary design, manufacturing, testing, and operations

• Experience as Program Chief Engineer or equivalent role with direct customer-facing technical accountability

• Experience with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and applicable software such as Cameo, Capella, Innoslate, or others

• Experience with satellite analysis tools such as Python, MATLAB, STK, GMAT, or FreeFlyer

• Experience with requirements management tools such as Jama, DOORS, Flow, or others

• Familiarity with customer compliance frameworks and formal traceability documentation expectations (e.g., government or DoD programs)

• Previous experience in a startup or fast-paced commercial space environment

• Current TS/SCI clearance

Program Chief Engineer Salary Range: $200,000 - $275,000 USD

Employees may be asked to support alternate shifts, extended shifts, and/or travel during peak work periods.
ITAR Requirements:

This position may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export controls. 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.
Benefits:
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package designed to support the well-being and professional growth of our employees. In addition to a competitive base salary and company stock, determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, and market demand, full-time employees are eligible for:

• Equity: Receive equity in Turion Space, letting you benefit from the company's success

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents.

• Retirement Plans: Access to a 401(k) plan with a 3% Employer Direct Contribution to help you plan for your future.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, personal days, sick days, and holidays to ensure you have time to recharge.

• Parental Leave: Paid parental leave following the birth of a newborn or adoption.

• Emotional Wellbeing: A no-cost Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your household’s emotional health and wellbeing.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for ongoing internal training, workshops, and courses to advance your skills and career growth.

• Team Building Activities: Regular social events, team outings, and company-sponsored activities to foster a positive work environment.

We are dedicated to providing a supportive and enriching environment for our team members, recognizing that our collective success is built upon the well-being and satisfaction of each individual.

Turion Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Turion Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Compensation Range: $200K - $275K

Location

Irvine, CA

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

On-site

Department

Mission Engineering

Compensation

• $200K – $275K

Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks.