Electrical Test and Development Engineer

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:

As an Electrical Test & Development Engineer , you will bring to life the electronic circuit cards that make the future possible. You will work closely with the electrical engineering team, as well as mechanical, software, systems, manufacturing, and test engineers, to help validate hardware and drive designs from prototype through integrated system testing.

• Support bring-up, testing, debugging, and validation of circuit cards, electronics assemblies, and functional electrical hardware developed by the electrical engineering team.
• Develop and execute electrical test plans, test procedures, and verification activities for boards, subsystems, and integrated hardware.
• Troubleshoot electrical hardware issues in laboratory and test environments using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, power supplies, electronic loads, and other standard test equipment.
• Support design validation, performance testing, failure analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective action activities.
• Work closely with design engineers to identify board-level issues, recommend design improvements, and support rapid hardware iterations.
• Assist with test fixture design, test equipment setup, data collection, and documentation of test results.
• Support integration of electronics hardware with sensors, actuators, embedded processors, communication interfaces, controllers, and software systems.
• Read and interpret schematics, PCB layouts, electrical drawings, interface control documents, test procedures, and bills of materials.
• Support environmental and qualification testing, including vibration, shock, thermal, thermal cycling, EMI/EMC, and system-level test campaigns.
• Support spacecraft electrical integration activities, including subsystem-level and system-level functional testing.
• Assist with wire harness development, including harness design support, fabrication, assembly, routing, labeling, continuity checks, and integration.
• Work with internal teams to support in-house development, creation, and build out of wire harnesses and related electrical assemblies.
• Support design for test, design for manufacturability, prototype builds, supplier coordination, and transition from development hardware to repeatable production.
• Drive hands-on testing and development in a fast-paced environment where hardware is designed, built, tested, and improved quickly.

What It Takes:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of professional electrical engineering experience.
• Experience testing, debugging, and validating electrical hardware for spacecraft, satellites, aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability applications.
• Experience working on spacecraft hardware or spacecraft electrical systems.
• Experience with flight systems, flight electronics, avionics, or other mission-critical electrical hardware.
• Strong understanding of analog and digital circuit fundamentals.
• Experience reading and interpreting schematics, PCB layouts, electrical drawings, interface control documents, test procedures, and bills of materials.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting electrical hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, power supplies, electronic loads, and other standard lab equipment.
• Experience developing and executing electrical test procedures for boards, subsystems, or integrated hardware.
• Basic familiarity with schematic capture and PCB design tools, including Altium Designer.
• Experience supporting hardware bring-up, debugging, validation, and failure analysis.
• Ability to work closely with design engineers to identify issues, document findings, and drive problems to closure.
• Strong engineering fundamentals and ability to make sound technical judgments in hands-on test environments.

What we'd Love:

• Experience testing or developing electronics for spacecraft, satellites, launch vehicles, missile systems, aircraft, defense systems, or other mission-critical hardware.
• Experience with flight-qualified or flight-intent hardware development.
• Experience supporting board-level bring-up for analog, digital, mixed-signal, power electronics, embedded systems, sensor interfaces, or motor control hardware.
• Experience with communication protocols such as CAN, Ethernet, RS-422, RS-485, SPI, I2C, and UART.
• Experience developing test fixtures, harnesses, breakout boards, automated test setups, or other lab infrastructure.
• Experience with wire harness design, fabrication, routing, connector selection, crimping, continuity testing, and integration.
• Experience with harness documentation, cable drawings, pinouts, interconnect diagrams, and interface control documents.
• Familiarity with board-level thermal considerations, electronics packaging, heat sinking, thermal interfaces, and thermal testing.
• Knowledge of EMI/EMC design practices and qualification testing.
• Experience with environmental testing including vibration, shock, thermal, and vacuum testing.
• Experience working with PCB fabricators, contract manufacturers, component suppliers, external test labs, or harness fabrication vendors.
• Familiarity with aerospace standards, high-reliability design practices, and configuration-controlled hardware development.
• Experience working in fast-paced development environments where hardware is rapidly designed, tested, and iterated.
• 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 You'll Bring:

• Strong technical judgment and engineering fundamentals.
• A hands-on approach to electrical testing, debugging, and problem solving.
• A practical understanding of how electronics behave in real-world test, integration, and operating environments.
• Ability to work across electrical, mechanical, thermal, software, manufacturing, and systems engineering disciplines.
• Comfort supporting both detailed board-level testing and broader system-level electrical integration.
• A willingness to support adjacent hands-on electrical work, including wire harness development, assembly, and integration.
• Strong documentation habits and the ability to clearly communicate test results, issues, and recommended next steps.
• Comfort operating in an environment with ambitious schedules, evolving requirements, and challenging technical goals.
• A desire to help see hardware through the full lifecycle — from development and board bring-up to qualification, integration, and fielded operation.

*Our vision is unique, and so is the team we're building. If you're driven to succeed in this role, even if your background doesn't fully align with every qualification, we want your application.

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

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

$120,000—$160,000 USD