Job Description

Avionics Design Reliability Engineer (All Levels)

Department: Chief Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Hawthorne, California

Reporting To: Rius Billing

Compensation: $137,000 - $196,000 / year

Astrolab is The Lunar Operations Company. We design and build the systems and hardware the lunar economy will come to depend on — rovers, power, and data networks for sustained operations on the Moon. We are focused on the problems that must be solved before the next chapter of human exploration can scale. The Moon does not forgive untested assumptions. The people who work here know that, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

CLV-1 is the first human-capable lunar rover since 1972. It will carry Artemis IV astronauts across the lunar South Pole, one of the harshest environments humans have ever worked in. There is no service center. It must work. As an Avionics Design Reliability Engineer, you will ensure CLV-1's avionics, RF, and power systems survive the mission. You will work across disciplines to build reliability into the design itself, identifying and mitigating failures before they arise.

What you'll do:

Lead FMEA for avionics, RF, and power systems, and drive design changes that prevent failures before they happen
Architect Astrolab's avionics design standards and test methodologies
Champion the Astrolab design process and set design criteria, requirements, and verification approaches for new hardware
Own change and risk reviews, translating technical risk and impact into decisions the team can act on
become the person the organization trusts to translate technical risk into clear, confident decisions
Build the processes that ensure designs meet standards, reviews are comprehensive, changes are implemented, and risks are mitigated
Flow reliability requirements down to hardware: margins, screening levels, derating guidelines
Develop specialized analysis tools, review templates, reliability checklists, and design guides
Mentor engineers on reliability methods and analysis techniques
Capture lessons learned and drive continuous improvements to strengthen standards and processes

What you'll bring:

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) field
5+ years of experience designing and analyzing hardware for space, automotive, or other high-reliability systems
Experience designing, integrating, testing, or operating space vehicles or other large, complex systems

Preferred Qualifications

8+ years of experience in design reliability for spacecraft, launch vehicles, aircraft, robotics, or other complex hardware
Experience with EEE parts, PCBAs, avionics units, RF components, and wire harnesses
Experience applying derating practices, Sneak Circuit Analysis, Worst-Case Circuit Analysis, Design for Excellence (DFX), and requirements flow-down
Experience applying reliability engineering methods, including FMEA, accelerated testing, and Weibull analysis
Experience creating engineering standards, review templates, or technical guidance frameworks
Experience with manufacturing processes, materials selection, and hardware qualification pathways
Experience applying Physics of Failure methodologies and identifying failure mechanisms in electronic hardware
Experience with fracture control, human-rated hardware standards, or similar reliability frameworks

Benefits and Perks

Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
Equity ownership in the company
Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
401(k) plan with company match
Flexible PTO and parental leave
Home office set up reimbursement
Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks

About Astrolab

Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system.

Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, we are an American-owned and American-operated small business. Our team has more than five decades of experience in terrestrial and planetary robotics, electric vehicles, human spaceflight, and human intelligence field operations. Our stellar team, strategic partnerships with cutting-edge companies and institutions combine with our world-class manufacturing, integration and test facility will enable the delivery of lunar and Mars mobility solutions at maximum reliability, flexibility and cost effectiveness.

Having a strong, diverse, and inspired team is essential to accomplishing our bold mission. Employees are our biggest asset, and we are deeply committed to them and our values.

At Astrolab we…

Demonstrate and inspire trust. Interactions are direct, honest, and respectful. We are fair and transparent with what we do and why.

Thrive in balance. Balance gives us perspective and keeps us motivated and inspired. We commit to rewarding work and a fulfilling personal life.

Seek diverse perspectives. We ask questions, engage in productive debate and offer alternatives to ensure our solutions and products are robust and a reflection of our collective best.

Move with purpose. Quality and reliability are accomplished through efficient ideation and iteration. We act with a sense of urgency and deliver what we promise, always with the big picture in mind.

Make an impact. We intentionally move our community and industry into the future through our work, practices, and actions.

Check out our website for current openings and help us drive the future of planetary exploration & development!

Industry

Aviation & Aerospace

Company Size

51-200 employees

Headquarters

Hawthorne, California

Year Founded

2019

Website

astrolab.space

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