Lunar Surface Systems Engineer

Interlune is a space resources company based in Seattle, WA. We will provide resources from space to power a clean and sustainable economy on Earth and in space.

We are looking for a Doer who wants to join our early-stage team and accelerate humanity's progress toward an off-world future. Our engineering team combines expert knowledge of geological sciences, mechanical engineering, automation, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, and advanced fabrication to build the infrastructure that will create an in-space economy. To join our small team, you must be agile, willing to learn, and able to take on multiple roles as needed.

We are seeking a systems engineer to support cross-functional integration of lunar surface hardware and guide system architecture, interfaces, and technical decision-making in the context of the lunar environment. The ideal candidate will bring strong systems engineering discipline and the ability to translate specialist input into sound design choices, technical risk identification and mitigation, and executable verification strategies.

Responsibilities:

• Work with the major mission stakeholders to develop the mission concept of operations
• Support cross-functional technical integration across disciplines to identify interface issues early and maintain alignment on system-level design decisions.
• Oversee Interlune's contributions to the mission's design and system trades, leading the technical risk tracking to guide design maturation, integration planning, and verification strategy.
• Drive closure of system-level risks, open technical issues, and key interface decisions, ensuring subsystem development remains consistent with overall vehicle architecture and mission needs.
• Characterize the lunar surface environment (specifically regolith geomechanics, thermal variations, dust abrasiveness/cohesion, and electrostatic charging dynamics) to establish strict constraints for system performance and lifespan.
• Translate complex environmental models into actionable system-level requirements and ensure the requirements are linked to verification plans
• Perform and document natural and induced environments analysis to characterize impact of lunar ejecta, micrometeorites, thermal cycles, radiation, plasma, vacuum, and dust to space systems.
• Develop and/or review verification test plans and contribute to hands-on integration, debugging, and qualification of hardware

Required Qualifications:

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Planetary Science, Physics, or related technical subject area.
• 5+ years of experience in integrated systems development or space environment modeling, with at least 3 years of experience taking responsibility for a major integrated element or technical workstream
• Highly knowledgeable of the product development lifecycle (concept development, requirement definition, design solution definition, implementation, integration, verification and validation).
• Excellent verbal, written, and communication skills with a keen attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences, Space Resources, Spacecraft Systems Engineering, or related technical subject area.
• Experience leading cross-functional system integration, interface management and architecture or design trades for complex hardware systems.
• Practical hands-on experience building, testing, or qualifying hardware for extreme environments (space, thermal vacuum, high radiation, or abrasive/dusty environments).
• Experience in systems engineering for an in-space mission, preferably on a lunar or planetary mission with surface operations.
• Experience identifying, assessing, tracking, and mitigating technical risks across hardware development, integration, and verification activities.
• Experience working with natural and induced environments analysis in a space context (thermal, radiation, plasma, vacuum, dust, micrometeorite, lunar ejecta).

Export Control Regulations

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants for employment at Interlune must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Interlune is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on creating our off-world future. Interlune is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Don't meet every requirement? If you're excited about this role but you don't meet all of the job requirements, we encourage you to apply and explain why the experiences you do have are a suitable substitute. We'd hate to miss out on the perfect candidate for this or other roles.

Compensation range for on site WA state employees is :

Target Levels:

Level 3 Range: $125,000 - $195,000

Level 4 Range: $150,000 - $250,000

Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

Benefits :

Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, and other benefits

Paid Time Off: Flexible PTO policy with paid company holidays.