Vehicle Engineering Lead
About The Position
Rendezvous Robotics is developing modular spacecraft that launch as compact tiles and autonomously assemble in space, enabling spacecraft to extend beyond rocket-fairing dimensions and be expanded, upgraded, or reconfigured in orbit. Based in Golden, Colorado, the company serves commercial, civil, and national security missions. The Vehicle Engineering Lead owns the vehicle-level technical baseline for a low Earth orbit (LEO) in-space assembly mission, integrating subsystem work and maintaining mission requirements, budgets, schedule, cost, and verification through launch readiness. The role has decision authority over cross-subsystem tradeoffs and is accountable to the CTO for mission schedule, budget, and performance. It also serves as the technical point of contact for the launch provider and hosted payload customers. This is an onsite position in Golden, Colorado. U.S. Person status is required.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- At least 7 years of spacecraft engineering experience, including development of flight hardware or flight software that has flown, and at least one vehicle taken from design through launch. Candidates with less experience may be considered when that experience was gained on high-tempo programs with multiple vehicles delivered.
- Engineering experience in at least two of the following areas: structures, thermal, power, propulsion, GNC, avionics, and flight software; working knowledge of the remaining areas sufficient to evaluate subsystem designs and challenge them on technical merits.
- Experience writing and closing ICDs with launch providers or payload customers.
- Direct experience with spacecraft environmental test campaigns, including vibration, thermal vacuum, and EMI/EMC.
- U.S. Person status is required.
- Ability to work onsite in Golden, Colorado.
Nice To Haves
- Experience on first-of-kind flight demonstration programs.
- Rideshare integration experience with SpaceX Transporter or a comparable provider.
- On-orbit anomaly resolution experience.
- Early-stage startup experience.
Responsibilities
- Own the vehicle-level technical baseline for a LEO in-space assembly mission, including requirements definition, subsystem flowdown, and traceability through verification, launch, and on-orbit operations.
- Integrate the work of GNC, Mechanical Systems, Avionics, Software, and Manufacturing & Test leads into a vehicle that meets mission requirements, and decide cross-subsystem tradeoffs.
- Own and maintain vehicle budgets for mass, power, link, pointing, thermal, propellant, and data, and drive margin decisions with subsystem leads.
- Hold and manage the integrated mission schedule and cost baseline; be accountable to the CTO for mission schedule, budget, and performance.
- Own vehicle-level requirements verification through launch readiness.
- Lead mission-level trade studies and concept of operations development.
- Run design reviews, failure investigations, and root cause analyses across disciplines.
- Serve as the technical point of contact for the launch provider on rideshare accommodation, requirements compliance, and integration.
- Serve as the technical point of contact for hosted payloads from interface control document (ICD) through integration and test.
Benefits
- Stock options may be available as long-term incentives.
- Comprehensive medical coverage.
- Vision coverage.
- Dental coverage.
- Short- and long-term disability insurance.
- Life insurance.
- Paid parental leave.
- Three weeks of paid vacation may accrue.
- 10 or more paid holidays per year.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
