Payload Engineering Lead

Space Machines Company (SMC) is transforming the future of space operations with a bold mission: to deliver Roadside Assistance in Space.

As orbit becomes more congested and contested, we act as the "first responders" protecting the satellites that power life on Earth—from communications to navigation. Partnering with both commercial operators and government agencies, we're strengthening space resilience and enabling the growth of a sustainable space economy.

We're building this critical capability through hyperscale spacecraft manufacturing—delivering Optimus Viper spacecraft at mass-production economics with rapid-response capability.

The future of space is one where satellites are monitored, maintained, and protected in orbit. At SMC, we're making that future real.

We're a start-up — things move fast, resources are lean, and we're building as we go.

What we offer is opportunity: to learn at speed, grow with the company, and leave your fingerprints on something that's never been done before. At Space Machines Company, engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers join forces to push the limits of what's possible.

If you want to build technology designed to protect and power humanity's future in space — and see your work make a visible impact — this is where you'll do it.

We are builders first.

We approach every challenge through a cycle of design, build, test, and refine — making ideas real, learning from results, and improving with each iteration.

We challenge assumptions to make sure we're solving the right problems, and we strengthen our solutions through collaboration and feedback.

We use process where it adds value and set it aside where it slows us down. There are a lot of firsts here, and we meet them with curiosity and courage.

We win as one team.

As our Payload Engineering Lead, you will be technical leader responsible for the end-to-end management of satellite payloads, from initial concept through to launch and on-orbit operations. These payloads include both optical and thermal infrared cameras which are used for in orbit inspection as well as third party hosted payloads. 

You will be leading a team of engineers, providing technical expertise and ensuring the final product meets company and customer needs. 

You will be leading external vendor and client relationships and keep up to date with industry trends and upcoming capability from vendors.

In this role, you own outcomes from end to end, including:

Technical Leadership – Provide technical oversight for payload procurement with external vendors. Define and document system-level requirements and design specifications for optical and opto-mechanical systems. Assess and manage risks throughout the payload lifecycle. Lead the integration, testing, and qualification of the payload from initial design through flight readiness.

Vendor Management – Evaluate and select external vendors for payload components and subsystems. Negotiate contracts, monitor vendor performance, resolve issues, and ensure compliance with agreements. Manage the full procurement process from requisition through delivery and payment.

Hosted Payload Client Management – Attend client meetings and provide technical support to clients and the business team. Ensure hosted payload requirements are compatible with satellite capabilities and mission architecture. Communicate technical details and progress updates to clients throughout the project lifecycle.

Project Support – Support ground qualification, test, integration and on-orbit commissioning activities. Resolve on-orbit failures and anomalies through systematic troubleshooting and coordination with mission operations. Coordinate with other engineering teams to ensure payload interfaces and operations are fully integrated.

Team Leadership – Lead and manage payload engineers, providing technical guidance, mentoring, and performance feedback. Build payload capability across the team while maintaining technical excellence and project delivery standards.

You'll thrive in this role if you bring:

A builder's mindset — turning theory into working control systems through hands-on development, simulation, and testing.

An iterative approach — designing, building, testing, learning, and improving with each cycle. Comfortable with weekly integration cadence and rapid validation of new algorithms.

Collaboration and curiosity — working across disciplines, systems and mission planning teams. Exploring beyond your own expertise to solve novel problems in novel ways.

Adaptability and ownership — thriving in a fast-scaling, evolving environment where requirements emerge from building. Driving outcomes end to end without waiting for perfect specifications.

Proven experience:

• 5+ years engineering/science experience, preferably in opto-mechanical or related field. 
• Engineering or Science degree (mechanical, electrical, mechatronic, aerospace, physics)
• Strong systems engineering capabilities to understand how the payload fits within the broader spacecraft architecture and mission objectives
• Experience managing, leading and coaching teams

Bonus experience:

• Experience in engineering for space
• Experience with rapid development cycles in startup or fast-paced environments
• Customer facing experience including liaising with vendors and clients
• International collaboration and exposure to different standards, documentation requirements and ways of working

You won't get rich quickly. But you'll get:

Competitive salary – Fair pay for hard work. Commensurate with experience and the impact you'll have.

Meaningful equity (ESOP) – Real ownership stake. Stock options that matter because you're joining early enough for them to matter. If we win, you win.

Actual leave – Annual leave plus personal/sick days. Because even warriors need to recover.

Public holidays – All of them.

And freedom. Real freedom to build, decide, and move without waiting for permission. That's not a benefit you'll find in a package description, but it's worth more than most perks on this list.