Navigation Sensor Hardware Engineer

Cowboy Space • Kent, WA

13h

About The Position

Cowboy Space Corporation is seeking a navigation sensor hardware lead to own the sensor suite used across its launch vehicles and spacecraft. The role selects, characterizes, calibrates, qualifies, and integrates inertial sensors and GNSS hardware, identifying opportunities to share components when they meet the needs of each vehicle. This hands-on technical leadership position delivers reliable sensor hardware and well-characterized performance to vehicle and guidance, navigation, and control teams. The engineer works with suppliers and engineering partners from initial selection through qualification, production acceptance, and vehicle integration.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of related experience in navigation sensor hardware or avionics assembly design and integration, including responsibility for hardware performance and verification.
• Understanding of IMU error sources, environmental sensitivities, calibration methods, and mitigation techniques.
• Experience integrating accelerometers, gyroscopes, or IMUs into flight or other high-reliability systems, including their electrical interfaces and mechanical mounting.
• Hands-on experience developing test setups, analyzing sensor data, and characterizing or qualifying hardware against defined requirements.
• Understanding of design for manufacturing and the ability to work independently, document technical decisions, and coordinate delivery with suppliers and engineering teams.
• Experience with Analog to Digital Converters and Digital to Analog Converters and Data Acquisition systems.
• Experience with a variety of sensors such as proximity, pressure, temperature, strain gages, as well as with encoder selection.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• Experience integrating GNSS receivers and working with navigation software or guidance, navigation, and control teams.
• Experience qualifying sensor hardware for both launch-vehicle and spacecraft environments, or reusing components across platforms.
• Experience developing custom inertial sensor assemblies, including navigation-grade IMU triads, or supporting accelerometer and gyroscope development.
• Experience improving calibration, acceptance-test coverage, manufacturing yield, or production throughput for sensor hardware.

Responsibilities

• Define navigation sensor hardware requirements with vehicle and guidance, navigation, and control engineers, and select the sensor suite for each application.
• Evaluate supplier accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and GNSS receivers against performance, environmental, interface, cost, and availability requirements.
• Identify shared components and interfaces across launch vehicles and spacecraft, documenting where different operating environments require different hardware or qualification approaches.
• Own electrical and mechanical integration of the sensor suite with avionics and vehicle teams.
• Coordinate GNSS antenna, RF compatibility, and interference requirements with the RF systems engineer.
• Develop characterization and calibration methods for inertial sensors, quantify error sources and environmental sensitivities, and provide calibration data and performance models to the navigation software team.
• Plan and lead component and assembly acceptance and qualification testing, including thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC, and radiation testing as applicable; document results and close verification requirements.
• Lead sensor hardware failure analysis, work with suppliers to resolve defects and performance issues, and implement hardware or calibration-software improvements.
• Establish repeatable calibration and acceptance processes with manufacturing and test teams, track hardware readiness for vehicle integration, and coordinate applicable regulatory or certification evidence.

Benefits

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off.
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance if applicable.
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior