Technical Program Manager
Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities-from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.
Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.
About the Role:
We're looking for a Technical Program Manager to be the connective tissue across our engineering team. You will help drive a launch vehicle program from early development through production. This role is a hands-on coordination job where you're making sure nothing falls through the cracks.
You'll own the master schedule, drive cost tracking, and most importantly, keep a small team of senior engineers sequenced and unblocked. The engineering leadership knows what needs to be done. We need someone who will relentlessly track progress, flag conflicts early, and make sure the right conversations happen at the right time.
What You’ll Do
Own and maintain the integrated program schedule across propulsion, structures, avionics, and vehicle design
Track costs against budget and flag variances early
Run standups, syncs, and program reviews - keep them short and useful
Be the person who notices when Team A's deliverable is blocking Team B and brokers the resolution before it becomes a problem
Sequence work across disciplines so that long-lead items, test campaigns, and design reviews happen in the right order
Create and maintain clear documentation: decision logs, action items, interface agreements
Communicate status up, down, and sideways - no one should be surprised
Basic Qualifications:
2-5 years of experience in program management, systems engineering, or technical operations - aerospace preferred but not required
Strong technical intuition - you don't need to run CFD but you need to understand why a turbopump test matters to the vehicle schedule
Exceptional communication skills, especially written
Bias toward action - you chase answers, you don't wait for them
Comfortable operating with ambiguity and incomplete information
Experience with scheduling tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, or similar)
Organized to a fault - nothing gets lost in your world
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience at a startup or small hardware company where you wore multiple hats
Familiarity with rocket propulsion or launch vehicle development
Experience cost/schedule tracking frameworks
Background in systems engineering or integration roles
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is$157,000 - $184,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.
Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid time off
10 paid holidays per calendar year
Paid parental leave
Relocation assistance if applicable
Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks
ITAR Requirements
Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.
Disclaimer
This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.
Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.