Payloads Integration Engineer
Astrolab
hawthorne, ca, usa
USD 125k-170k / year
Posted on Aug 27, 2025
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. 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.
We are seeking a Payload Integration Engineer to join our team, focusing on integrating complex payloads into rover platforms. This role is crucial for the successful assembly, testing, and launch of our space missions. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with spacecraft systems and a deep understanding of the technical challenges of integrating sensitive, high-value payloads.
- Department
- Vehicle Engineering
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Location
- Hawthorne, California
- Workplace type
- Onsite
- Compensation
- $125,000 - $170,000 / year
- Reporting To
- Alastiar Valentine
What You’ll Do:
- Integration: Own the integration of full payload systems, interfacing with avionics and software teams to ensure payloads are mounted, harnesses are correctly routed, and components are functional from the design and through protoqualification.
- Design and Analysis: Develop flight payload structures, understanding packaging constraints, necessary vehicle placement, and proximity to other system components and payloads. Conduct thermal, structural, and vibration analysis using FEA tools (e.g., FEMAP, Ansys, NASTRAN). Perform first-order analysis and hand calculations.
- Prototyping and Testing: Lead the design, fabrication, and assembly of payload structural assemblies. Develop and execute test plans for environmental qualification, including TVAC, Vibration, Shock, Acoustic, and EMI testing.
- Materials Selection: Select appropriate materials and processes for payload assemblies, considering factors such as mass, thermal properties, and resistance to radiation, EMI, and outgassing in a vacuum environment.
- Documentation: Create and maintain detailed design documentation, including 3D models, 2D drawings, and test reports.
- Collaboration: Work closely with electrical engineers, manufacturing teams, and program managers to ensure designs meet all performance, schedule, and cost requirements.
What’s Prepared You:
- Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
- Experience: Experience: 3+ years of experience in satellite, spacecraft, or similar complex system integration.
Technical Skills:
- FEA Expertise: Proficient in finite element analysis (FEA) software for thermal and structural analysis.
- CAD Proficiency: Strong skills in 3D CAD software (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, Creo).
- Knowledge of Materials: In-depth knowledge of materials used in aerospace, including aluminum alloys, composites, and thermal interface materials.
- Testing: Demonstrated experience with spacecraft hardware and tooling.
- Cleanroom procedures: Familiarity with working in cleanroom environments and following strict contamination control protocols.
- Payload and Instrumentation: Experience with specific types of payloads (e.g., optical sensors, communication antennas, scientific instruments).
Additional Skills:
- Knowledge of launch vehicle and range safety requirements.
- Experience with configuration management and quality assurance processes in a space environment.
- Experience with wiring harness design and production.
- Basic scripting skills (e.g., Python, MATLAB) for test automation and data analysis are a plus.
What We Offer:
- Work with a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
- Ownership in the company
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) with matching
- Flexible time off and parental leave
- On-site snacks, beverages, and 2x weekly lunches
- Flexible 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.
