Director of Space Vehicle Engineering
Englewood, Colorado
R&D /
Full-time (Regular) /
Hybrid
ispace, inc. is a global lunar resource development company with the vision, “Expand our Planet. Expand our Future.” specializing in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has offices in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States and is growing rapidly. ispace Technologies U.S., based in Englewood, Colorado, focuses on high-capacity payload lunar landers.
With locations in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, ispace is positioned to be a global leader in the exploration and development of the moon. Let's go to the moon together! Our team is growing, and we are actively looking for great people to join the ispace mission.
We are seeking a highly experienced and motivated Director of Space Vehicle Engineering with a strong background in multi-faceted space vehicle design and analysis to lead and oversee several engineering disciplines. This role will manage our Structural Design, Structural Analysis, RF Communications, and Thermal subsystems. The Director will play a critical role in the successful development and deployment of our lunar exploration spacecraft, ensuring that our designs meet the rigorous demands of our space missions.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and clear direction to multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Foster a culture of trust, collaboration, commitment and follow-through, striving for continuous improvement.
- Mentor and develop team members, helping them grow through new opportunities, training, and continuous feedback.
- Estimate and acquire resources (staff, tools, budget, schedule, etc) needed to complete the team’s assigned scope.
- Perform gap analyses to identify areas of unassigned scope that require execution to support mission success.
- Improve and/or create processes, tools, and systems to help the team work more efficiently.
- Work with the Program Management and Supply Chain groups to build strong supplier relationships and enforce accountability for timely and reliable execution.
- Develop and implement engineering strategies that enhance our vehicle capabilities and align with company goals.
- Work with the Program Management group to plan and commit to an execution baseline and hold team accountable to meet milestone deliverables.
- Aid in cross functional coordination to ensure seamless integration with other groups throughout the program life cycle.
- Identify and mitigate technical, schedule, and cost risks that can otherwise inhibit progress towards mission success.
- Present technical briefings and updates on design progress and challenges to stakeholders.
- Develop strong communication channels with our international counterparts while abiding by TAA and ITAR/EAR regulations.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related field is required. We will consider a combination of education and related experience.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in spacecraft engineering or a related field, with significant focus on large scale, low volume, programs.
- At least 3 years of leadership experience managing and building engineering teams.
- Proven track record in designing and delivering reliable systems for space vehicles or aerospace applications.
- An understanding of the challenges associated with large scale spacecraft structures and loads, deep space RF Communications, and deep space/lunar surface thermal environments.
- Project management skills, including scheduling, budgeting, and resource allocation.
- Capable of identifying and tackling unbounded problems by distilling clear and reasonable action plans for the team.
- Comfortable making decisions with limited information or lack of consensus.
- Communicates in a clear and concise manner, eliminating areas of ambiguity in direction.
- Capable of balancing competing priorities from simultaneous programs.
- Demonstrates extreme discipline by consistently delivering on commitments over extended periods of time.
- Comfortable providing and receiving feedback, and facilitating team conversations involving constructive conflict
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline
- Experience identifying and navigating the challenges of a startup environment
Additional Requirements
- Ability to work in a fast-paced design and development environment
- Schedule may vary depending on program development needs; flexibility required
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required
$168,000 - $230,000 a year
The salary posted is a targeted range for budget of position. Base compensation can be negotiated and will be commensurate with experience, skills, education, and training.
Medical/vision/dental health benefits (Some 100% company paid options available for employee only)
Hybrid work schedule
Company-paid public transportation on RTD buses and light rail (RTD EcoPass)
Paid vacation (18 days)
Sick days (6 days)
Holidays (14 paid holidays)
401(k) matching
To 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 the ITAR here.
ispace is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with ispace is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
All applicants who are offered employment with ispace US will be subject to a background investigation. Offers of employment are contingent on the successful completion of a background investigation conducted in accordance with Company policies and all applicable laws.
ispace Technologies, US, Inc. is a drug-free workplace.
ispace Technologies, US, Inc. participates in the E-Verify program.