{"id":747513,"url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-engineer","title":"Senior Payload Motor Controls and Power Electronics 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":35,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":145,"computed_at":"2026-11-01T06:10:25Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"senior","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":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":147000,"max_usd":270000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":1517},"experience_years_min":2,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-04T20:48:37Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-12","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T02:30:54Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":89,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":89},"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, attainable, 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 Senior Payload Motor Controls and Power Electronics Engineer will design, model, simulate, and implement custom motor controllers and power-conversion systems for a spacecraft payload. This hands-on role will work across hardware, software, and systems engineering to rapidly develop and prepare prototype technology for flight.\nJob Responsibilities:\nDesign spacecraft actuators, motor controls, power electronics, and power systems.\nModel and simulate electromechanical and power systems for feasibility, optimization, and system sizing.\nImplement motor-control designs on DSP and FPGA targets.\nDevelop hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop simulations.\nPerform iterative testing and develop operational knowledge of the complete payload.\nCoordinate electrical and software requirements across engineering teams.\nEvaluate buy-versus-build decisions and communicate cost, schedule, and technical risks.\nWhat It Takes: \nBachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field OR a Master’s degree or PhD may substitute for two years of experience per advanced degree.\n7+ years of motor controls and power electronics experience. \nExperience with dynamic modeling and controls in MATLAB.\nStrong knowledge of BLDC motors and control algorithms, including field-oriented control.\nExperience with power-converter topologies and their controls.\nExperience implementing algorithms in hardware and software for target deployment.\nStrong systems-thinking and complex problem-solving skills.\nWhat We'd Love:\nFamiliarity with payload-interface hardware used in spaceflight missions.\nHands-on circuit-design and software-development experience.\nUnderstanding of spaceflight payloads and space-environment effects. \nWhere You’ll Be: \nThe position will be on site at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. \n\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$180,000—$210,000 USD","description_format":"text","description_chars":4481,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":2,"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":["Electrical & Electronic Engineering","Missiles","Space Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-11T14:41:29Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":73,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.813,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":88,"expected_fill_days":145,"reasons":["conf:3","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-11-01T06:10:25Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacekinetic-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:05Z","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":9013,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"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-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-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-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-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-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-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-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fspacekinetic-senior-payload-motor-controls-and-power-electronics-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":747513}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"spacekinetic.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":747513},"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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