Director of Vehicle Engineering

Our startup client is at the forefront of revolutionizing the space economy with low-cost, reusable satellites designed for precise payload return. They are pioneering multi-ton Earth return systems to enable point-to-point delivery around the globe - making space more accessible and Earth more sustainable.

This mission-driven company has a highly collaborative and innovation-driven culture. With impressive contracts and partnerships already in place, they are poised to change the future of space technology.

We’re seeking a Director of Vehicle Engineering to lead, inspire, and grow this company’s engineering team as they develop and deploy one of their first satellite prototypes and precision systems.

If you’re passionate about building cutting-edge space technology and thrive in a hands‑on, fast‑paced environment, this is the opportunity to make a significant impact.

About the Role

The Director of Vehicle Engineering is the technical authority and leader for our client's two core products. You will be accountable for the entire vehicle lifecycle from architecture and requirements through design, build, test, and recovery. You will lead the integrated vehicle and subsystems team (Mechanisms, Heat Shields, Parachutes, Avionics, and more).

This is not purely a management focused role. You are expected to be the Responsible Engineer for the vehicle, subsystems, and owning the hard technical decisions that balance performance, mass, and schedule while driving the transition from R&D into production.

Responsibilities

• Vehicle Technical Authority: Provide technical oversight for the vehicle system including overall configuration, subsystem interfaces, and key performance allocations such as mass, power, thermal behavior, and guidance performance.
• Lifecycle Ownership: Guide the vehicle through major development phases including final design, hardware integration, verification, flight readiness preparation, and operational deployment. Maintain accountability for the vehicle’s technical integrity across each stage.
• Team Leadership: Lead a multidisciplinary engineering organization responsible for core vehicle subsystems including avionics, structural systems, thermal protection, and recovery hardware. Support team development while aligning engineering resources to maintain schedule and technical milestones.
• Production Readiness: Establish initial build processes, supporting tooling, and acceptance criteria required for early production capability prior to long‑term handoff to a dedicated production engineering organization.
• Flight System Deployment: Oversee development and validation of an aerial deployment capability designed to safely release and recover a flight vehicle from an aircraft platform while meeting mission requirements for trajectory, landing precision, and overall performance.
• Integration & Test: Own the Master Test Plan, including owning the integrated verification strategy, including environmental testing, flight campaigns, and root‑cause investigation for anomalies identified during development or operations.
• Program Management: Own the detailed vehicle development schedule. Maintain the detailed engineering development schedule and ensure strong configuration control throughout the program. Identify program risks early, support key sourcing decisions, and ensure disciplined program management practices across the vehicle team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in full‑lifecycle vehicle development (Design, Build, and Fly).
• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading cross‑disciplinary engineering teams through major design reviews, integration activities, and flight programs.
• Architectural Vision: Experience managing system‑level technical allocations such as mass, power, communications, or control performance while making critical engineering trade decisions.
• Production Fluency: Experience coordinating between R&D, manufacturing, defining build processes, acceptance criteria, and designing for manufacturability (DFM).
• Flight Test Experience: Direct knowledge and experience in flight testing, operational safety processes, and post‑flight anomaly investigation.

Preferred Experience

• Active U.S. Government Security Clearance (Not required, but beneficial).
• Experience with atmospheric re‑entry vehicles, aerial delivery systems, or autonomous flight platforms.
• Experience transitioning a product from prototype to low‑rate initial production.

Logistical Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Benefits

• Incentive Equity
• Annual Performance‑Based Bonus
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Short‑ and Long‑Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• PTO
• 401k with Company match
• Subsidized daily catered lunch, snacks and coffee
• Dogs are allowed on‑site

Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. They evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

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