Spacecraft Electrical Power Subsystem Engineer Jobs

YOUR MISSION 

As a Staff Power Engineer at True Anomaly, you will be a senior technical leader on the Power team, owning the design, analysis, and performance of spacecraft electrical power subsystems across multiple programs. You will drive power architecture decisions - from solar arrays and energy storage through distribution and protection - and serve as the technical authority ensuring our power systems meet the demanding reliability and performance requirements of operational space missions. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Lead the design and development of spacecraft electrical power systems, including solar arrays, battery systems, power distribution units, and protection circuits 

• Own power architecture trades and drive technical decisions balancing performance, mass, thermal, radiation tolerance, cost, and schedule 

• Lead preliminary and critical design reviews (PDR/CDR) for power subsystems, ensuring designs meet program and customer requirements 

• Develop and maintain spacecraft power budgets, including generation, storage, distribution, and load analyses across all mission phases from launch through end-of-life 

• Perform power system modeling and simulation including on-orbit power generation, eclipse cycling, battery state-of-charge, and transient load analysis 

• Design and analyze power conversion and regulation circuits, including DC/DC converters, peak power tracking, charge controllers, and fault protection schemes 

• Conduct and review derating analysis and worst-case circuit analysis for power electronics in accordance with EEE-INST-002 and applicable standards 

• Perform radiation and reliability analyses for power system components, identifying risks and driving design mitigations for the orbital radiation environment 

• Define validation approaches and create development and qualification testing campaigns to exercise power system designs to their limits and ensure reliable hardware 

• Develop electrical ground support equipment (EGSE) for power system testing and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation 

• Support environmental testing campaigns including EMI/EMC, thermal vacuum, and vibration testing of power subsystem hardware 

• Collaborate with avionics, systems engineering, software, and propulsion teams to ensure seamless spacecraft integration of power systems 

• Develop and maintain documentation for power systems, including design specifications, interface control documents, test plans, and operating procedures 

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior and mid-level engineers on the Power team, raising the team's design capabilities and technical rigor 

• Continuously improve power engineering processes and practices to drive innovation and efficiency 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field 

• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in spacecraft or high-reliability electrical power systems design 

• Strong technical background in solar array systems, battery technologies (Li-ion, LiFePO4), charge control, DC/DC converters, peak power tracking, and power distribution 

• Demonstrated experience with radiation effects on power system components and radiation-tolerant design practices 

• Experience leading preliminary and critical design reviews (PDR/CDR) for power or electrical subsystems 

• Proficiency with power system modeling, analysis, and simulation tools 

• Experience with spacecraft power budgeting across all mission phases, including launch, tip-off, eclipse, and end-of-life 

• Advanced experience with circuit design tools (Altium Designer or equivalent ECAD) and analysis tools (SPICE, MATLAB, or similar) 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE 

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field 

• Experience with fault management and autonomous protection schemes for spacecraft power systems 

• Experience with EEE parts screening and qualification per EEE-INST-002 or NASA-INST-002 

• Familiarity with EMI/EMC qualification and mitigation per GSFC-STD-7000 (GEVS) and MIL-STD-461 

• Experience designing, analyzing, and testing for spacecraft charging effects 

• Familiarity with lab test equipment including power supplies, oscilloscopes, electronic loads, and solar array simulators 

• Experience developing EGSE or HIL test environments for power subsystem validation 

• Knowledge of power supply stability analysis techniques 

• Experience with GEO, LEO, or other operational orbit regimes and their implications for power system design 

• Experience working in a fast-paced, startup environment or a similarly dynamic setting 

COMPENSATION  

• Base Salary: $135,000-$250,000 

• Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave 

 Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education and experience. 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Ability to maintain or obtain TS//SCI clearance 

• Work Location: this role will be fully onsite at our GravityWorks factory in Centennial, CO or Long Beach, CA 

• Work environment is in a standard office, working at a desk or in a production factory. 

• Physical demands may include frequent standing, sitting, walking, bending, and lifting or carrying items up to 20lbs.