Principal Electrical Power System Engineer
About Us
Space Machines Company (SMC) is transforming the future of space operations with a bold mission: to deliver Roadside Assistance in Space.
As orbit becomes more congested and contested, we act as the "first responders" protecting the satellites that power life on Earth—from communications to navigation. Partnering with both commercial operators and government agencies, we're strengthening space resilience and enabling the growth of a sustainable space economy.
We're building this critical capability through hyperscale spacecraft manufacturing—delivering Optimus Viper spacecraft at mass-production economics with rapid-response capability.
The future of space is one where satellites are monitored, maintained, and protected in orbit. At SMC, we're making that future real.
Why Join Us
We're a start-up — things move fast, resources are lean, and we're building as we go.
What we offer is opportunity: to learn at speed, grow with the company, and leave your fingerprints on something that's never been done before. At Space Machines Company, engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers join forces to push the limits of what's possible.
If you want to build technology designed to protect and power humanity's future in space — and see your work make a visible impact — this is where you'll do it.
How We Work
We are builders first.
We approach every challenge through a cycle of design, build, test, and refine — making ideas real, learning from results, and improving with each iteration.
We challenge assumptions to make sure we're solving the right problems, and we strengthen our solutions through collaboration and feedback.
We use process where it adds value and set it aside where it slows us down. There are a lot of firsts here, and we meet them with curiosity and courage.
We win as one team.
Requirements
As our Principal Electrical Power System Engineer, you will be the senior technical expert responsible for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of the spacecraft’s Electrical Power System (EPS), including solar arrays, batteries, battery charge/discharge regulation and power distribution units (PDUs). The developed electrical power system is crucial to the success of the satellite in orbit and will power the satellite bus and satellite payloads after launch into space.
In this role, you will be responsible for:
Power System Architecture – Define the architecture of spacecraft Electrical Power System, ensuring robustness, flight readiness and compatibility with other satellite subsystems.
EPS Development – Lead the design, procurement, integration and testing of the electrical power system, ensuring it can reliably generate, store and distribute electrical power from solar panels and batteries. Some of this development will involve developing in-house power electronics units.
Power Analysis – Perform analysis, such as power budgets to ensure sufficient power for all mission phases.
Hardware Selection and Procurement – Lead the buy/build trade and the selection and procurement of EPS hardware. Evaluate, select, and monitor internal/external suppliers.
Integration & Testing – Drive integration of EPS hardware with flight software and hardware, ensuring end-to-end validation through lab, HIL, and mission testing.
Collaboration and Compatibility - Collaborate with other engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of EPS components within the satellite platform and ensure compatibility with other subsystems.
Leadership - Guide and mentor junior EPS engineers.
Standards & Compliance – Establish best practices for design, testing, and qualification, ensuring compliance with aerospace standards.
Risk & Improvement - Identify technical risks, drive design improvements, and address NCRs.
About You
You'll thrive in this role if you bring:
A builder's mindset — turning ideas and theory into working systems through hands-on development, simulation, and testing.
An iterative approach — designing, building, testing, learning, and improving with each cycle. Comfortable with weekly integration cadence and rapid validation of new algorithms.
Collaboration and curiosity — working across disciplines and exploring beyond your own expertise. Exploring beyond your own expertise to solve novel problems in novel ways.
Adaptability and ownership — thriving in a fast-scaling, evolving environment where requirements emerge from building. Driving outcomes end to end without waiting for perfect specifications.
Proven experience:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Electronic Engineering or equivalent. (Masters or PhD is advantageous)
- 7+ years in electrical power, avionics, aerospace electronics, or satellite systems, with experience in designing , testing and delivering reliable electrical power systems
- Track record of taking concepts through development, qualification, and flight.
- A knowledge of electrical power systems (preferably satellite), including solar arrays, batteries and battery management systems, power distribution, isolation and grounding, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), fault tolerance, and thermal management.
- Be comfortable using Altium, and be capable of both designing and evaluating PCBA electronics
- Capable of evaluating, developing, and implementing hardware and system-level test setups.
- This role demands extensive troubleshooting skills and frequent collaboration across departments to resolve complex, system-wide challenges.
- Experience managing, leading and coaching teams
Bonus experience:
- Space, aerospace, defence, or robotics leadership experience
- Startup experience with fast-paced development cycles and resource constraints
Benefits
What You Actually Get
You won't get rich quickly. But you'll get:
Competitive salary – Fair pay for hard work. Commensurate with experience and the impact you'll have.
Meaningful equity (ESOP) – Real ownership stake. Stock options that matter because you're joining early enough for them to matter. If we win, you win.
Actual leave – Annual leave plus personal/sick days. Because even warriors need to recover.
Public holidays – All of them.
And freedom. Real freedom to build, decide, and move without waiting for permission. That's not a benefit you'll find in a package description, but it's worth more than most perks on this list.