Staff Harness & Interconnect Engineer
Own the end-to-end design, development, and manufacturing transition of spacecraft harnesses, cables, connectors, and interconnect solutions for a LEO satellite constellation. You will drive connector selection from custom and COTS sources, develop cable assemblies spanning STP to coax to fiber, and work directly with international vendors to move designs from prototype through volume production.
What you’ll be doing:
Design and qualify custom and COTS connectors for spacecraft applications including shielded/unshielded low-pin-count, board-to-board, coax, high-speed, and fiber-optic interfaces.
Own connector selection trades across mass, volume, retention force, signal integrity, and space qualification requirements.
Develop overmolding tooling and processes for connector space qualification.
Coordinate with domestic and East Asian connector vendors on custom solutions, design reviews, and qualification activities.
End-to-end ownership of cable and harness design: wire gauge selection, shielding architecture (STP, coax), routing, and drawing creation.
Drive cable manufacturing solutions from prototype through volume production.
Evaluate and specify specialty cables including ultra-lightweight coax and space-grade fiber optic assemblies.
Support harness manufacturing process development: stripping, termination (hotbar/wave solder), potting, and protection (sleeving, tape, fixation).
Develop and maintain the Electrical Interface Control Document (EICD) and from/to interconnect lists driving connector selection across the spacecraft bus.
Interface with systems, RF, power, and digital teams on signal routing, impedance requirements, and EMI/EMC considerations.
Work with internal engineering teams to optimize board placement and overall connectivity strategy.
Evaluate emerging interconnect technologies: laser-cut FPC, conductive adhesives, silver ink traces, and R2R-compatible solutions for antenna and thin-film applications.
Manage vendor relationships for connectors, cables, and interconnect components across domestic and East Asian suppliers.
Support manufacturing equipment sourcing and process development for cable stripping, termination, and assembly.
Partner with manufacturing teams to ensure high success rates in engineering-to-manufacturing transitions, including process validation, documentation, and first-article support.
Drive design-for-manufacturing optimization on interconnect solutions to hit cost and mass targets at constellation scale.
CONNECTOR & INTERCONNECT DESIGN
CABLE & HARNESS DESIGN
ELECTRICAL INTERFACE & INTEGRATION
VENDOR & MANUFACTURING
What you bring to this role:
BS in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.
10+ years in interconnect, harness, or electro-mechanical design with at least 5 years on spacecraft or aerospace programs.
Hands-on experience with connector selection and qualification for space environments (thermal cycling, vibration, vacuum, outgassing).
Familiarity with IPC-620 (cable/harness), J-STD, and relevant NASA/ECSS/SAE workmanship standards.
Experience with CAD and harness design tools (SolidWorks, RapidHarness, Zuken, or equivalent).
Proficiency with lab equipment: multimeters, soldering, crimpers, TDR, hand tools.
Direct experience managing international component and cable vendors.
Bonus points for the following:
MS in EE, ME, or related field.
Experience with high-speed interconnects (PCIe, LVDS) and signal integrity basics.
Coax cable design and RF connector experience.
Fiber optic interconnect experience (transceiver integration, cable assemblies).
Exposure to flex/rigid-flex PCB design and mechanical packaging.
Experience with Altium Designer for PCB-level connector integration.
Background in NPI and scaling from prototype to volume production in NewSpace or high-rate manufacturing.
Familiarity with LEO constellation environments and radiation considerations.
Additional Requirements
This is a fast-paced, high-impact environment - flexibility to occasionally work extended hours or weekends during critical periods is expected.