Spacecraft Systems Engineer CD&H

At Turion Space we’re building spacecraft to secure Earth and expand humanity’s reach beyond it. As a Spacecraft Systems Engineer for Command and Data Handling (CD&H) you will be responsible for designing developing and testing of the whole spacecraft systems and subsystems.

This role involves working on all phases of a satellite’s product lifecycle from proposal and concept through initial and final design to testing and final operations. This Spacecraft Systems Engineer will work to ensure that all the CD&H subsystems meet the desired function performance and reliability of the mission at hand.

This is a full-time exempt position based on-site at our Irvine California headquarters.

Key Responsibilities

• Gather analyze and refine requirements across the spacecraft including interfaces to the ground.

• Develop and maintain system-level design budgets (e.g. power pointing mass data) and maintain a clear traceable link between requirements verification artifacts and mission objectives.

• Collaborate with the ground software and the mission operations team to collect feedback and lessons learned from existing missions.

• Evaluate and track risks including fault trees failure modes and potential mitigation.

• Lead the software Integrated Product Team (IPTs).

• Organize and execute technical milestone reviews including Mission Critical (MCR) System Requirements (SRR) Preliminary Design (PDR) Critical Design (CDR) Test Readiness (TRR) Program Support (PSR) and System Architecture Reviews (SAR).

• Identify and document internal and external dependencies such as vendor-provided systems or internal blockers from other teams across the program.

• Develop Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) strategies for the flight and ground segment.

• Lead the effort to validate all vehicle requirements are met by the spacecraft.

• Working with internal and external stakeholders to define mission ConOps

• Directly engage with subcontractors on deliverables.

• Assist in developing road maps and development plans for the flight systems department.

• Serve as the key contributor behind flight systems engineering at Turion and contribute to the evolution of systems engineering standards.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering Electrical Engineering Systems Engineering or a related field

• 3+ years of experience in spacecraft systems engineering Spacecraft design or a related field with hands-on experience in satellite design and integration.

• Previous experience with the derivation and maintenance of requirements from a system level down to a lower level

• Ability to create system level budgets (mass power dV pointing link etc.) and track the budget throughout the project lifecycle

• Hands-on experience with spacecraft integration flatsat testing or mission operations.

• Must be able to obtain a Secret and/or a TS/SCI clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with satellite analysis tools such as Python MATLAB STK GMAT or FreeFlyer

• Experience with requirement management tools such as Jama Doors Flow or others

• Prior work in a startup environment

• Experience with the full product life cycle for a space mission from concept through live operations.

• Experience engaging directly with subcontractors on deliverables

• Experience with Model Based Systems Engineering and applicable software such as Cameo Capella Innoslate or others

Spacecraft Systems Engineer Salary: $140000 - $190000 USD

ITAR Requirements:

This position may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder) (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158 or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Benefits:
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package designed to support the well-being and professional growth of our employees. In addition to a competitive base salary and company stock determined by factors such as job-related knowledge education skills experience and market demand full-time employees are eligible for:​

• Equity: Receive equity in Turion Space letting you benefit from the company's success

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical dental and vision coverage for employees and their dependents. ​

• Retirement Plans: Access to a 401(k) plan to help you plan for your future. ​

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days personal days sick days and holidays to ensure you have time to recharge. ​

• Professional Development: Opportunities for ongoing training workshops and courses to advance your skills and career growth.

• Team Building Activities: Regular social events team outings and company-sponsored activities to foster a positive work environment. ​

We are dedicated to providing a supportive and enriching environment for our team members recognizing that our collective success is built upon the well-being and satisfaction of each individual.

Turion Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Turion Space is governed on the basis of merit competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by 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.

What We Do

Turion Space is building the infrastructure to secure and sustain the future of space. Founded to address the growing need for space domain awareness in-space servicing and debris mitigation Turion designs builds and operates spacecraft with real-world operational capability. Our vehicles are built for national security and commercial missions that require speed autonomy and resilience. We believe the next chapter of space operations will be defined by who can act not just observe. That’s why we’re focused on building platforms that move fast adapt in orbit and solve problems ranging from satellite servicing to tactical intelligence gathering. We successfully launched our DROID.001 satellite in June 2023 and DROID.002 in March 2025. DROID.003 is scheduled for launch in 2026.

Why Work With Us

Turion Space is where startup grit meets real space missions. We build and fly spacecraft for defense servicing and domain awareness. No red tape no sidelines just hands-on work that matters.

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