{"id":747532,"url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-chief-engineer","title":"Chief Engineer","company":{"id":685289,"name":"Space Kinetic","domain":"spacekinetic.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/spacekinetic","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":95,"open_postings":34,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":145,"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"head","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["El Segundo, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":220000,"max":280000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":280000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-01-15T19:22:49Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-12","last_verified_at":"2026-10-30T20:31:00Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":288,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":286},"description":"A New Paradigm For Space Operations.\nWho We Are: \nSpace Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations - one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attritable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different - an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures - where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.\nThis is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.\nWhat You’ll Do:\nThe Chief Engineer at Space Kinetic will be a highly experienced and visionary engineering professional with extensive experience in successfully leading complex space programs from concept to mission operations and have demonstrated technical excellence in space system mission design and supporting development of space hardware from System Concept, System Requirements to Technology Readiness Level 9. This is a critical leadership role responsible for providing critical mission planning, requirements definition, technical oversight and supporting all engineering and programmatic functions within the company in a fast-paced start-up agile environment. The Chief Systems Engineer will develop and execute the overall payload mission, engineering, and production requirements in line with the company’s goals and objectives.\nJob Responsibilities:\nTechnical Authority: Serve as the technical authority for the Space Kinetic system, leading its architecture and major design decisions.\nTechnical Execution: Provide mission planning, requirements definition, and technical oversight across engineering and programmatic functions.\nSystem Requirements: Own system requirements, including flow-down, allocation, verification, and validation.\nSubsystem Integration: Ensure GNC, power, communications, structures, thermal, avionics, software, and payload subsystems integrate correctly.\n Performance & Risk: Balance system performance, SWaP-C (size, weight, power, and cost), and risk.\nDesign Readiness: Approve design maturity and readiness at major reviews, including PDR, CDR, and TRR.\nMission Performance: Ensure the system meets requirements for pointing, power budget, data throughput, lifetime, and survivability.\nEnvironmental Qualification: Oversee environmental qualification, including vibration, shock, TVAC, EMI, and radiation considerations.\nWhat It Takes:\nBachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.\n7+ years of experience in leadership positions involving satellite system development, integration, and operations.\nDemonstrated experience successfully taking at least two spacecraft from concept through mission operations.\nExperience supporting space hardware development from system concept and requirements through Technology Readiness Level 9.\nAbility and willingness to obtain a security clearance.\nWhat We’d Love:\nMaster’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field.\nAbility to work autonomously in a fast-paced and demanding startup environment.\nPassion for advancing the commercial and national security space industry.\nWhere You’ll Be: \nThe position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year). \nWhat We Offer: \nEquity-Based Compensation\n401(k) retirement plan with a 3.5% company match\nHighly Competitive PTO\nPaid company holidays + winter break \nComprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance\nUnique Performance-based bonus opportunities\nITAR Requirements: \nTo 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. Learn more about ITAR here \nEqual Employment Opportunity: \nSpace Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disabilityor any other legally protected status. \nThe annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. \nPay Range\n$220,000—$280,000 USD","description_format":"text","description_chars":5538,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Retirement plans","Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space & Aerospace","Missiles","Space Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-11T14:41:29Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":21,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.577,"p_room":0.36,"age_days":287,"expected_fill_days":145,"reasons":["conf:2","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":280000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-chief-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-chief-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-30T22:41:49Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":13587,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-31T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":685289},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=685289"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-chief-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-chief-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-chief-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/spacekinetic-chief-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-chief-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":747532}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"spacekinetic.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":747532},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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