Hardware Engineering Manager

About Kairos Aerospace 

At Kairos Aerospace, we combine innovative aerospace systems with advanced data science. Unlike traditional aerospace companies, we sell information, not hardware - we operate our sensors cost-effectively at continental scale to produce novel data streams about pressing global problems.

First on our list: spotting hard-to-monitor emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change. Since starting continuous survey operations in 2018, Kairos has removed methane emissions equal to over 72.6 million tonnes of CO2e through our work. To put that in perspective, that’s equivalent to over 15.8 million cars being removed from the roads or shutting down about forty-seven 350 MW coal-fired power plants for a year.

We call that a good start.

As a team, we love science and engineering, we love getting our hands dirty with hardware and software, and we love seeing our work make a difference in the real world.

We’ve created a diverse, collaborative, supportive, and fun environment based on integrity and treating people right. So no matter your sex, gender, sexual identity, gender identity, race, age, beliefs, sexual orientation, or disabilities, we welcome you and would like to work with you. :-)

It’s never boring, it’s always challenging, and we’re usually laughing.

A note of encouragement: If you don't meet 100% of the qualifications below, you should still seriously consider applying. Studies show that you can still be considered for a role if you meet just 50% of the role's requirements.

Individuals with a disability are encouraged to contact [[email protected]] to request assistance with your application and accommodations in advance of your interview. 

Hardware Engineering Manager

Accurately detecting and quantifying methane emissions on a global scale requires robust hardware solutions that scale efficiently. Hardware at Kairos involves a tight integration of spectrometers, infrared cameras, lasers, optical cameras, and GPS/INS systems all using in-house software to collect the data needed to accurately detect and pinpoint methane emissions. 

An ideal hardware engineering manager at Kairos is someone who is focused on safety and supporting the team through project management, inter-team communication, and clearing roadblocks obstructing the team’s progress. You also bring a foundation of mechanical design expertise and will lead technical projects in that domain in order to help us design and build out our next generation methane detection aerial system.

You will have had experience working with electro-mechanical systems both as a manager and as an individual contributor and are excited to lead a multi-disciplinary team consisting of mechanical, electrical, and sensor engineers as well as a senior technician team. Day-to-day tasks involve managing that diverse team, clearing the path for team leads to efficiently complete their work, and performing heads-down technical work in support of our aerial sensor systems.

Required

• 2-3 years of management experience with a team-first management approach
• 5 years of individual contributor experience in a mechanical design role
• Start up experience
• BS in relevant engineering discipline (mechanical, aerospace, etc)
• Electromechanical systems design experience 
• Able to work in a fast-paced, flexible environment,
• Optimistic, empathetic, curious

Desired

• Experience with aerial systems
• Experience with Linux systems
• Experience working with lasers
• Familiarity with JIRA or other task management software
• Experience working towards regulatory compliance

Salary Range

The San Fransisco Bay Area Range for This Role : 175,000 - $185,000 USD/year + performance bonus + 401k w/match, and stock options.

In order to avoid bias and create an equitable salary structure, at Kairos, we are intentional about our pay strategy. We base compensation on current position (role and skill level) as well as location.

Life at Kairos

A few important facts about working at Kairos Aerospace:

- We provide health, dental, and vision insurance, including subsidized coverage for dependents. Our 401K plan provides a 50% employer match on employee contributions up to 8%.

- We think death-march hours are a bad way to run a company. We expect something approximating a 40-hour workweek, but mostly we just care that your work gets done. No, really. (Full disclosure: we occasionally put in some extra hours during crunch periods, but that is the exception, not the norm).

- We do not track vacation time, nor do we have set hours to be in the office. Instead, we encourage taking real vacations, mental health days, leaving early to pick up the kids, working from home, time-shifting commutes, staying home when you're sick, ducking out to the gym - we believe work time should be flexible.

During the pandemic we transitioned to 100% remote work aside from hardware, flight operations, operations engineers, or any role that specifically states it is in the office. For most positions, we plan to continue having remote opportunities in perpetuity.

(We love it when kids make a cameo in a video call.)

Kairos Aerospace is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Kairos makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.