Head of Avionics

Cowboy Space Corp.•San Carlos, CA

2d•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. We are looking for a Head of Avionics to lead the design, development, and integration of avionics systems across our spacecraft platform. This role will own the architecture and execution of avionics systems, including flight computers and critical interfaces that enable control, communication, and power management on orbit. You will define systems that operate in real-time, safety-critical environments under strict constraints around power, thermal, and radiation, working closely with hardware, integration, and operation teams to deliver reliable and scalable systems. This is a critical leadership role with significant ownership over system architecture, team building, and execution.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in avionics engineering
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
Experience designing and shipping embedded or avionics systems in production environments
Strong background in one or more of the following: Real-time operating systems (RTOS), Microcontrollers, SoCs, or FPGA-based systems, Hardware/software integration
Experience leading technical projects or engineering teams with increasing scope and ownership
Strong understanding of system architecture and embedded system design principles

Nice To Haves

Designed, built, and flown (or deployed) avionics or embedded systems for spacecraft or other mission-critical systems
Deep understanding of radiation effects (SEE, TID) and have implemented mitigation strategies at the system and component level
Designed systems under aggressive SWaP constraints and made hard tradeoffs between performance, reliability, and resource usage
Hands-on experience bringing up and debugging hardware and embedded systems using common interfaces (SPI, I2C, CAN, UART, Ethernet, SpaceWire)
Built and operated telemetry, command, and data handling (C&DH) systems in production or flight environments
Developed and used HITL, simulation, and automated test systems to validate hardware and software
Built systems requiring deterministic, real-time performance in safety-critical environments
Owned systems end-to-end—from architecture through bring-up, integration, test, and deployment
Built and led high-performing teams that execute quickly and deliver hardware on tight timelines
Worked closely with GNC, RF, power, and other spacecraft teams to deliver fully integrated flight systems

Responsibilities

Define the technical vision and roadmap for avionics across spacecraft platforms
Own system architecture across avionics, hardware interfaces, and system integration
Lead the design and development of avionics systems, peripheral interfaces, EMI/EMC, embedded architecture, and rapid integrated testing infrastructure.
Build and lead a team of avionics engineers, setting technical direction and development standards
Ensure robust communication across subsystems and subsystem leads
Drive end-to-end development from concept through design, integration, validation, and flight readiness
Collaborate cross-functionally with other spacecraft teams to ensure seamless system integration
Establish testing, validation, and qualification strategies for avionics systems, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and simulation environments
Ensure robust communication across subsystems and subsystem leads
Optimize systems for performance within constraints of power, thermal, and radiation environments
Guide component selection, vendor partnerships, and manufacturing processes for avionics hardware
Participate in system-level trade studies to balance performance, cost, mass, and power
Represent avionics in design reviews (PDR, CDR) and executive-level discussions