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Armada · 17 hours ago

Senior Hardware Engineer, Orbital Infrastructure

San Francisco, California Office (HQ)

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$144K/yr - $180K/yr

10+ years exp

Armada is an edge computing startup focused on providing computing infrastructure to remote areas. They are seeking a Senior Hardware Engineer to lead the physical design and component strategy of their orbital compute nodes, focusing on high-performance hardware for space-based servers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cloud ComputingData CenterSoftware

Senior Management

Responsibilities

Lead the selection of CPUs, GPUs, and high-density NVMe storage. Evaluate silicon based on performance-per-watt and inherent radiation susceptibility (TID/SEE)

Architect custom server sleds and high-speed backplanes. Ensure signal integrity for PCIe Gen 5/6 and CXL links in a compact form factor optimized for a satellite bus

Act as the primary technical point of contact for Tier 1 component vendors. Work with their engineering teams to deep-dive into firmware and hardware-level modifications for orbital stability

Design conduction-based cooling solutions and the use of Phase Change Materials (PCM) or advanced heat pipes for heat dissipation in the absence of air

Lead the "Space-Adaptation" of terrestrial hardware, implementing shielding, structural reinforcements, and conductive cooling paths

Oversee the hardware testing lifecycle, from initial breadboarding to Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) and Vibration (Shock/Vibe) qualification

Qualification

Server Design MasteryPCBA DesignHigh-performance ComputingRadiation EffectsAerospace IntegrationEnvironmental StandardsIndustry NetworksEducation in Engineering

Required

10+ Years of Experience: Deep hands-on hardware engineering with a focus on server-class hardware, high-performance computing (HPC), or ruggedized electronics

Industry Networks: Existing, strong relationships with major semiconductor and data center component vendors

Server Design Mastery: Expert knowledge of x86/ARM architectures, memory hierarchies, and high-speed interconnects (PCIe, NVMe, Ethernet)

PCBA Design: Proficiency in high-speed PCB design (Altium, Cadence, or Allegro) for power-dense environments

Education: BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field