{"id":3858614,"url":"https://alion.io/job/parallax-space-principal-avionics-engineer","title":"Principal Avionics Engineer","company":{"id":4520011,"name":"Parallax Space","domain":"parallaxspace.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/parallax-space","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Rippling","truth_index":null},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Denver, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":15,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"SpaceWire","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-27T19:02:59Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-27","last_verified_at":"2026-11-09T03:22:06Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":12,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":12},"description":"Parallax Space is building critical mission infrastructure to enable rapid, reliable, and scalable access to space. We partner with commercial, civil, and national security customers to deliver high-performance satellite components, integrated payload systems, and mission capabilities that close critical gaps in modern space architecture.\nOur model combines advanced engineering, mission execution, and scalable manufacturing to deliver high-TRL products and flight-ready systems at speed.\nWe are building the infrastructure backbone for the next generation of space systems.\nLocation\nRedondo Beach, CA / Denver, CO - 100% onsite\nReports To\nHead of Engineering\nEmployment Type\nFull-Time\nDepartment\nEngineering / Avionics\nTravel Required\n20% of the time\nSecurity Clearance\nAbility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance\nPOSITION OVERVIEW\nParallax Space is seeking a Principal Avionics Engineer to architect and own our core avionics offerings for space vehicles. This person will define the avionics product line that Parallax builds once and deploys across spacecraft buses, hosted payloads, and integrated mission systems: command and data handling, flight computing, power distribution and control, spacecraft networking, and payload and vehicle interfaces.\nThe Principal Avionics Engineer will set the technical baseline for how Parallax avionics are architected, designed, qualified, and produced. They will take avionics from architecture and trade studies through schematic and PCB design, bring-up, integration, environmental qualification, and flight, and will make sure those designs scale into repeatable production.\nThis is a foundational, high-ownership role for an experienced avionics leader who can be the senior technical authority on avionics, build the team around them, and still get hands-on in the lab when the hardware needs it.\nKEY RESPONSIBILITIES\nCore Avionics Architecture & Product Line\nArchitect Parallax’s core avionics offerings: a modular, reusable avionics product line that can be configured across spacecraft buses, hosted payloads, and mission systems.\nDefine the avionics architecture, including flight computers, C&DH, power distribution and control units, spacecraft networking, payload interface electronics, and harnessing.\nSet processor, FPGA/SoC, memory, redundancy, and fault-tolerance strategies matched to mission class, orbit, and radiation environment.\nDefine internal and external interface standards (e.g., Ethernet, SpaceWire, CAN, RS-422/485, LVDS, SPI, I²C) so avionics modules work together and plug into customer payloads.\nLead trade studies that balance performance, size, weight, power, cost, reliability, radiation tolerance, and manufacturability, including make/buy and supplier decisions.\nOwn the avionics product roadmap and technology maturation plan, moving new capabilities from prototype to flight heritage.\nAvionics Design & Development\nLead the design of analog, digital, mixed-signal, and power electronics for flight hardware.\nGuide schematic capture, PCB layout, stack-up and material selection, component selection, derating, and worst-case circuit analysis.\nLead board bring-up, lab debugging, and anomaly investigations at the board and system level.\nDefine EE/software interface requirements with flight software and firmware teams, including fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR).\nLead radiation effects analysis and parts selection strategy (rad-hard, rad-tolerant, and screened COTS).\nIntegration, Test & Qualification\nDevelop avionics requirements, ICDs, verification plans, and test procedures that roll up into the spacecraft technical baseline.\nArchitect and build avionics testbeds, flatsats, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) environments.\nLead environmental qualification and acceptance testing, including TVAC, vibration, shock, and EMI/EMC.\nLead avionics readiness for SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and FRR, and support spacecraft integration, launch, and on-orbit operations.\nTechnical Leadership & Team Building\nServe as the senior technical authority for avionics across programs and customer engagements.\nHire, mentor, and grow avionics, electrical, and test engineers, and set design and review standards for the team.\nWork closely with systems, flight software, GNC, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.\nRepresent Parallax avionics with technical credibility to commercial, civil, defense, and national security customers, including in proposals and design reviews.\nProducibility & Scale\nDesign avionics for manufacturing and test, partnering with manufacturing engineering to reach repeatable rate production.\nEstablish avionics design processes, templates, review checklists, and configuration control that scale with the product line.\nREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS\nBachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.\n12+ years designing and delivering avionics or high-reliability electronics, with significant experience on spacecraft, satellite, or launch vehicle programs.\nProven record architecting avionics systems, not just individual boards, from requirements through qualification and flight.\nDeep experience with flight computing and C&DH, including processors, FPGAs or SoCs, memory, redundancy, and spacecraft data interfaces.\nHands-on command of schematic design, PCB development, component selection, derating, board bring-up, and debugging.\nWorking knowledge of space environments and their effect on electronics: radiation (TID, SEE), thermal, vacuum, and EMI/EMC.\nExperience with environmental qualification (TVAC, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC) and with leading technical reviews such as PDR, CDR, and TRR.\nDemonstrated technical leadership, including owning a subsystem end to end and mentoring engineers.\nExcellent written and verbal communication, including explaining technical trade-offs to leadership and customers.\nAbility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; must be a U.S. person for ITAR/EAR purposes.\nPREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS\nMaster’s degree or higher in Electrical or Computer Engineering.\n15+ years of avionics experience, including building a modular or product-line avionics architecture reused across multiple vehicles.\nExperience with spacecraft power systems: power distribution units, battery and solar array management, switching converters, and fault protection.\nExperience with spacecraft networking and modular standards such as SpaceWire, deterministic Ethernet/TSN, SpaceVPX, or CubeSat/SmallSat form factors.\nExperience with rad-hard and rad-tolerant parts, screened COTS strategies, and NASA, MIL-STD, or IPC workmanship standards.\nExperience building HIL/SIL testbeds and supporting spacecraft integration, launch, and on-orbit operations.\nBackground with proliferated LEO, SDA, DoD, IC, NASA, or commercial space programs, including hosted payloads.\nExperience taking avionics into rate production at a startup or high-growth company.\nProficiency with Altium or similar EDA tools and with circuit simulation and analysis tools.\nCORE COMPETENCIES\nSystems Thinking\nArchitectural Judgment\nTechnical Ownership\nHands-On Execution\nMission Focus\nDesign Rigor\nRisk Management\nCross-Functional Leadership\nTeam Development\nCommunication\nBias for Action\nAttention to Detail\nWHY JOIN PARALLAX SPACE\nAvionics is the nervous system of every vehicle we build. In this role you will define the avionics architecture that Parallax products are built on and shape it from the first trade study through flight. You will work on real missions and real hardware with a high-performing team of engineers, operators, and builders, and help build the engineering backbone of a rapidly scaling space company.\nCOMPLIANCE\nParallax Space is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. 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