Avionics Engineer

Karman+ is building the first logistics chain in space for the regolith age. Today everything we use in orbit — fuel, water, materials — is launched from Earth, which keeps every mission slow, expensive and small. Asteroids already hold those resources in orbit. We build the spacecraft and systems to go get them.

Our first mission launches in 2028 to rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis — a deep-space mission designed, built and tested by our team in Broomfield, Colorado, on a startup timeline and budget. We develop most of our own hardware, from power and propulsion electronics to RF systems and payloads, and we test it in our own facilities.

The role

You will own the spacecraft’s compute: the rad-hard flight computer that runs command and data handling, GNC and autonomy, as well as the payload computer that handles cameras, optical navigation and the science payloads. That means the boards, the interfaces to the rest of the vehicle, the environment they have to survive, and the path from schematic to a unit you’ve seen through vibration, thermal vacuum and radiation testing.

Requirements

• Day to day you will
• Drive the design, development, integration, testing, and deployment of the spacecraft’s flight computer system, focusing on functions such as data handling, guidance, and control.
• Contribute to all phases of the flight computer lifecycle, from concept to flight-readiness and post-deployment support, ensuring reliability and mission success.
• Troubleshoot and resolve hardware and software issues during integration and testing, maintaining hands-on involvement to ensure quality and functionality.
• Assist in the procurement process by supporting evaluations of off-the-shelf components and custom hardware, working with vendors to ensure compliance with mission requirements.
• Help identify and mitigate risks related to the flight computer system, contributing to regular risk assessments and implementing mitigation strategies as directed.
• Work closely with the flight software team so that hardware and software are developed and tested together, from flatsat integration to spacecraft in orbit.
• You'll fit if you have
• Experience in avionics or electronics engineering for space hardware, with hands-on experience designing, integrating, and testing flight computer systems.
• Strong problem-solving skills—you’re as comfortable working with CAD and models as you are in a test lab debugging system-level issues.
• Experience designing resilient microcontrollers and system on module compute platforms for space vehicles.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex avionics topics to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• A desire to keep design cycles tight, by following a build and break philosophy.
• Comfort with ambiguity and a small team, where you’ll make calls a larger organisation would hand to a committee.
• Nice to have
• Familiarity with F Prime or cFS
• FPGA experience
• Experience with deep space missions
• Hands-on TVAC and vibe testing
• Required
• US work authorization