Autonomy Engineer

2 days ago

Base Salary

$110k - $160k/yr

Responsibilities

Automate spacecraft commissioning end to end using loadable ground procedures tied to flight sequences, health verification, continuous telemetry capture, and automated reporting.
Extend procedure tooling to day-in-the-life testing and automate ground-test data ingestion and comparison with on-orbit telemetry.
Design, test, and maintain fault detection, isolation, and recovery systems across all Apex satellite bus lines.
Build and own on-orbit task and schedule generation tooling in partnership with Mission Operations, GNC, Thermal, Power, and Flight Software teams.
Shadow operators during commissioning and anomaly response, automate manual tasking for future vehicles, and provide surge support on console.
Develop long-term onboard autonomy for task prioritization, ad-hoc replanning, station-keeping, and collision avoidance from maneuver generation through execution.

U.S. Person status is required, or the candidate must be able to obtain required export authorizations for access to export-controlled data.
Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
At least 3 years of experience in spacecraft operations, flight software, or mission autonomy, including commissioning and anomaly resolution.
Experience designing or maintaining spacecraft fault-protection systems.
Proficiency in Python and a compiled language such as C++ or Rust.
Proficiency with Lua, Tcl, TypeScript, or another scripting language.
Experience integrating, testing, and validating software for real-time and distributed systems.
Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems including GNC, propulsion, avionics, thermal, power, and communications.
Willingness to support on-console operations outside normal business hours during commissioning and anomalies.
Strong communication, teamwork, and customer-facing abilities.
Preferred: experience building ground software such as procedure engines, command and telemetry systems, scheduling tools, or test automation frameworks.
Preferred: background in automated planning and scheduling or autonomous maneuver planning.
Preferred: sufficient GNC, thermal, or power subsystem depth to write and validate fault responses.

Equity in Apex through stock options and shared upside.
Company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, plus $100,000 of life insurance at no cost.
Paid time off starting at 15 vacation days and growing to 20 or more annually, plus 10 paid holidays.
401(k) plan with a 100% match on the first 3% and a 50% match on the next 2%.
Eight weeks of paid parental leave and childcare reimbursement of up to $350 per day for work-related travel.
Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks.
Monthly office socials, pickleball tournaments, run club, and employee and family gatherings.
Work tools and desk setup provided.
Full-time role based at the Playa Vista office with in-person collaboration and flexibility to integrate work and life.