Senior Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) Engineer

A New Paradigm For Space Operations. 

Who We Are:

Space Kinetic is a dual-use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo,  we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on.  Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

What You’ll Do:

We are seeking a Senior Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) Engineer to lead the assembly, integration, verification, and testing of complex aerospace hardware and systems.

This is a highly hands-on engineering role responsible for taking hardware from engineering release through assembly, integration, functional testing, environmental qualification/acceptance testing, and final delivery. The ideal candidate has significant experience working directly with aerospace hardware, understands both mechanical and electrical integration, and is comfortable troubleshooting complex systems in a fast-paced development and production environment.

The Senior AIT Engineer will work closely with mechanical, electrical, systems, software, manufacturing, quality, and test engineering teams to ensure flight hardware is assembled correctly, tested thoroughly, and delivered on schedule.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead assembly, integration, and test (AIT) activities for aerospace vehicles, spacecraft, payloads, subsystems, and ground support equipment, owning hardware through assembly, functional testing, environmental testing, and final verification.
• Develop and maintain assembly procedures, work instructions, integration plans, test plans, and test procedures to ensure consistent, repeatable hardware integration and testing.
• Plan and execute mechanical and electrical integration, including installation of structures, mechanisms, avionics, harnesses, sensors, payloads, and other flight hardware; support first-article builds and transition prototypes into repeatable production processes.
• Provide hands-on engineering support on the manufacturing and integration floor, troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, and system-level issues and leading or supporting root cause investigations, nonconformance resolution, corrective actions, and failure investigations.
• Plan and execute environmental testing, including thermal vacuum (TVAC), vibration, shock, and EMI/EMC testing, and perform functional checkouts and system-level verification before and after testing.
• Define test configurations, instrumentation, and data acquisition requirements; design or coordinate tooling, fixtures, test equipment, and ground support equipment for assembly, integration, and testing.
• Review engineering drawings, CAD models, schematics, wiring diagrams, interface control documents, and engineering requirements to ensure hardware readiness; coordinate with design engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and program teams to support scheduled integration activities.
• Improve AIT processes to increase quality, repeatability, efficiency, and production throughput, including supporting the development and implementation of automated test equipment and test scripts.
• Develop and improve AIT processes, automated test equipment, and test scripts to increase repeatability, quality, efficiency, and production throughput.

What it Takes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering.
• 5+ years of professional aerospace experience supporting rockets, launch vehicles, satellites, spacecraft, aircraft, missiles, or similar flight systems.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in aerospace hardware assembly, integration, manufacturing, testing, or production, including developing and executing assembly, integration, work, or test procedures.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, and system-level hardware issues, including nonconformance investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, CAD models, GD&T, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering requirements.
• Strong understanding of engineering configuration control, hardware traceability, and accurate as-built documentation.
• Experience working directly with technicians and engineers during hardware assembly, integration, and test operations.
• Ability to own complex hardware issues, drive them to closure with limited supervision, and collaborate across mechanical, electrical, systems, software, manufacturing, quality, and program teams.

What We’d Love:

• Experience with spacecraft, satellites, launch vehicles, payloads, or other spaceflight hardware.
• Experience leading end-to-end AIT campaigns, from subsystem integration through vehicle-level verification, qualification, and acceptance testing.
• Hands-on experience with environmental testing, including TVAC, vibration, shock, acoustics, and EMI/EMC.
• Experience with avionics, electrical power systems, wiring harnesses, sensors, RF systems, mechanisms, or propulsion systems.
• Experience with mechanical assembly processes, including bolted joints, precision alignment, bonding, staking, torquing, shimming, and flight hardware installation.
• Experience developing test fixtures, integration tooling, and ground support equipment.
• Experience using electrical test equipment, including oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, power supplies, electronic loads, data acquisition systems, and automated test equipment.
• Experience with CAD and PLM software, such as Siemens NX and SolidWorks, familiarity with aerospace workmanship and quality standards, or experience supporting launch-site integration and scaling AIT processes for higher-rate production.

Where You'll Be: 

• The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year). 

What We Offer: 

• Equity-Based Compensation
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 3.5% company match
• Highly Competitive PTO
• Paid company holidays + winter break 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Unique Performance-based bonus opportunities

ITAR Requirements: 

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be (i) a U.S. citizen or national, (ii) a U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, (iv) an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. 

Equal Employment Opportunity: 

Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. 

The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.