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Maxar Technologies · 5 months ago

Senior Payload Engineer

Westminster, CO

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$104K/yr - $174K/yr

8+ years exp

Maxar Technologies is a leading company in space-based optical remote sensing systems. They are seeking a Senior Payload Engineer to support the development lifecycle of optical payloads, ensuring compatibility and performance optimization between payloads and spacecraft buses.

AerospaceGeospatialGovernmentRemote SensingSatellite CommunicationTelecommunications

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical interface between the imaging payload and spacecraft bus, ensuring compatibility and joint performance optimization across electrical, mechanical, thermal, and data interfaces

Lead and participate in system-level trades to evaluate design alternatives, performance vs. cost/risk trade-offs, and technology insertion opportunities

Assess and troubleshoot emerging payload and bus designs down to the circuit level using your electrical engineering background

Support radiation analysis and mitigation strategies for electronics in space environments, collaborating with design teams to guide EEE parts selection and architecture-level protections

Perform or review signal and power integrity analyses, and ensure adherence to space-qualified electrical standards (MIL-STD, ECSS, NASA standards, etc.)

Model and evaluate payload-level power, data, and timing interactions and contribute to electrical interface control documentation (ICDs)

Participate in the evaluation of emerging technologies, COTS/FoS (Commercial/Flyable off the Shelf) hardware, and new mission concepts with an eye toward system-level integration feasibility

Contribute to design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR) and work across disciplines to ensure the payload systems meet performance, reliability, and environmental constraints

Qualification

Space-based optical systemsElectrical systems engineeringRadiation analysisFPGA technologiesModeling tools MATLABModeling tools STKSpacecraft-payload interfaceTeam collaborationProblem-solvingCommunication skills

Required

Must be a U.S. Citizen with an active secret Security Clearance or have the ability to obtain secret clearance

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field

8+ years of experience working with space-based optical remote sensing payloads, especially within LEO missions

Proven experience in electrical systems engineering for space platforms, including familiarity with radiation effects on electronic systems and parts derating/qualification processes

Demonstrated experience with spacecraft-payload interface development, electrical interface analysis, and supporting cross-functional teams across the space segment

Ability to interpret and analyze schematics, block diagrams, and PCB layouts, and perform system-level implications analysis from hardware-level changes

Demonstrated familiarity with current and emerging FPGA, processor, and memory technologies

Previous experience working across payload, spacecraft, and ground teams