Director of Avionics Engineering
Astrolab
hawthorne, ca, usa
USD 190k-250k / year + Equity
Posted on Jun 21, 2025
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world-class team.
As the Director of Avionics Engineering at Astrolab, you will oversee a talented team working on solutions for the FLIP, FLEX Rover, and FLEX LTVS, all contributing to our missions to the lunar surface and beyond.
As the Director of Avionics Engineering at Astrolab, you will oversee a talented team working on solutions for the FLIP, FLEX Rover, and FLEX LTVS, all contributing to our missions to the lunar surface and beyond.
- Department
- Avionics
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Location
- Hawthorne, California
- Workplace type
- Onsite
- Compensation
- $190,000 - $250,000 / year
- Reporting To
- Jaret Matthews
Key Responsibilities
- Drive a technical team to execute system-level and component-level design for rovers and other assets, considering all environments and operational cases. The system may include power generation, power storage, power distribution, compute, motor control, command and data handling, sensing and perception systems, communication systems, robotic manipulators, illuminators, and other I/O
- Recruit, lead, and mentor a team of people leaders, responsible engineers, systems engineers, and analysts. Facilitate autonomy and growth opportunities while achieving exceptional results
- Develop and manage budgets, operational risks, and technical risks to achieve Astrolab’s business objectives
- Formulate program and technical strategies, including decisions to outsource NRE or to conduct in-house development
- Drive concurrent engineering between Avionics, Electromechanical, Vehicle Engineering, Software, GNC, Test, Reliability, and Production to optimize speed of execution while adhering to a rigorous design review process
- Guide the team through technical and programmatic milestone reviews, ensuring technical and programmatic success.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in STEM from an accredited institution
- 7+ years of experience in space system development in a leadership role with direct reports.
- Proven track record of delivering spaceflight hardware through the full design life cycle (design, test, qualification, launch, operation)
- Understanding of all failure modes of spaceflight electrical components
- Strong understanding of radiation effects on spaceflight electronics
- Experience using Altium, E3, or equivalent design programs
- Exposure to sensor and actuator calibration and characterization needs, methodologies, equipment, and procedures
- Experience with instrumentation, sensors, and communication protocols, including DMMs, DAQ, function generators, oscilloscopes, DIO, GPIB, USB, RS-232/422/485, GigE, SPI, etc.
- Experience with system commands and data handling, I/O management, networking, and similar (or analogous experience)
- Strong understanding of environmental testing, such as shock/vibe, TVAC, burn-in, and its implications for electrical design. Preferred experience with SMC-S-016.
- Ability to lead in a dynamic and flexible environment
- Must be able to communicate complex technical subjects to a variety of audiences succinctly
- Must work well in fast-paced, interdisciplinary environments
What We Offer:
- Collaborate with a team of top-tier engineers pioneering planetary surface exploration
- Ownership opportunities in the company
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) plan with matching contributions
- Flexible time off and parental leave
- On-site snacks, beverages, and bi-weekly lunches
- A flexible and dynamic work environment
About Astrolab
Having a strong, inclusive, and inspired team is essential to accomplishing our bold mission. Employees are our biggest asset, and we are deeply committed to them and our values. At Astrolab we…
Demonstrate and inspire trust. Interactions are direct, honest, and respectful. We are fair and transparent with what we do and why.
Thrive in balance. Balance gives us perspective and keeps us motivated and inspired. We commit to rewarding work and a fulfilling personal life.
Seek diverse perspectives. We ask questions, engage in productive debate and offer alternatives to ensure our solutions and products are robust and a reflection of our collective best.
Move with purpose. Quality and reliability are accomplished through efficient ideation and iteration. We act with a sense of urgency and deliver what we promise, always with the big picture in mind.
Make an impact. We intentionally move our community and industry into the future through our work, practices, and actions.
Our Hiring Process
Stage 1:
Application Review
Stage 2:
Recruiter Phone Interview
Stage 3:
Video Interviews
Stage 4:
On-site Interview
Astrolab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, parental or pregnancy status, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or veteran status. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to careers@astrolab.space. We strive to remove unconscious and unnecessary barriers to build the best team. While we’ve outlined what an ideal candidate could look like, we know that you may bring something unanticipated and essential to the team. If you’re reading this and can see yourself contributing, please register below.
