Avionics Test Engineer

Cowboy Space•San Carlos, CA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure. About the Role: The Avionics Team is looking for an Avionics Test Engineer to lead the validation, integration, and qualification of spacecraft electronics at the board and system level. In this role, you will own the development of test systems and methodologies used to verify avionics hardware throughout the product lifecycle. You will work closely with electrical design, PCB layout, firmware, and manufacturing teams to ensure our boards meet performance, reliability, and mission requirements before deployment to space.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or related field
1-5+ years of experience testing and validating complex electronic hardware
Experience with board bring-up, debugging, and failure analysis of PCB assemblies
Experience using laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, power supplies, and electronic loads
Experience developing automated test systems using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools
Strong understanding of digital electronics, analog circuits, power systems, and embedded hardware

Nice To Haves

Experience testing aerospace, satellite, defense, or other high-reliability electronic systems
Experience with HITL testing, manufacturing test systems, and automated validation frameworks
Familiarity with common digital interfaces such as Ethernet, PCIe, DDR, SPI, I2C, UART, and CAN
Experience supporting FPGA, embedded, and mixed-signal hardware platforms
Experience with environmental qualification testing including thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC, and thermal cycling
Familiarity with IPC standards and electronics manufacturing processes
Experience working in fast-paced startup environments
Familiarity with radiation test campaigns for electronics

Responsibilities

Develop and execute board-level test plans for avionics, power electronics, communications hardware, and compute systems
Design and build automated test equipment (ATE), hardware-in-the-loop (HITL), and custom test fixtures
Perform bring-up, validation, and troubleshooting of complex PCB assemblies
Develop test software, scripts, and automation frameworks to improve test coverage and manufacturing throughput
Characterize electrical performance including power integrity, signal integrity, timing, and functional behavior
Support root cause investigations, failure analysis, and corrective actions for hardware issues
Collaborate with electrical and firmware engineers to debug hardware and system-level problems
Support environmental qualification testing including thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC, and thermal cycling
Analyze test results and generate detailed reports to support design reviews and flight readiness assessments
Drive improvements in test infrastructure, manufacturing screening, and board-level reliability processes