Lead Spacecraft Test Engineer

Apex Space  · Los Angeles  · Mar 26, 2026

Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge. For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles. Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

Responsibilities:
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of spacecraft test engineers while managing project assignments, performance, and professional growth
Requirements:
- Drive the strategy and roadmap for scaling test operations from low-rate development to high-rate production, ensuring test capacity and capability grow with the program
- Scope, procure, set up, and maintain environmental test equipment and infrastructure, making build-vs-buy decisions and managing capital planning for the test organization
- Provide hands-on technical leadership on critical test challenges, including test fixture design, instrumentation setup, and anomaly resolution
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including production, design engineering, and quality assurance to identify and resolve issues and ensure test requirements are captured early in the design process
- Analyze test data, interpret results, and generate comprehensive test reports; establish standards for data quality and reporting across the team
- Ensure compliance with applicable aerospace testing standards and regulations
- Lead root cause and corrective action investigations for test escapes and anomalies, driving systemic fixes rather than one-off solutions
- Stay current with industry advancements and best practices in spacecraft environmental and functional testing
- U.S. Persons status is required as this position needs to access export-controlled data
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
- 5+ years of experience in environmental or functional testing within the aerospace industry
- Strong leadership fundamentals demonstrated via proven ability to delegate effectively, drive strategic initiatives from concept to execution, and foster individual growth
Apply Now
Company
Apex Space
Location
Los Angeles
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Production
Posted
Mar 26, 2026
Source
Original posting ↗
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