Phenix Space (Neo ‘25) · 5 hours ago
Founding Space Systems Engineer (Electronics & Embedded)
San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expPhenix Space is a venture backed startup building the upgradeable Space layer for Earth’s critical industries. They are seeking a Space Systems Engineer to lead the development of space-rated robotics hardware, focusing on hardware design, embedded systems development, and ensuring performance and endurance requirements are met.
Defense & Space
Hiring Manager
Benjamin Price
Responsibilities
Design, build, and iterate on the foldable robotic arm prototype, focusing on sensors, actuation, cabling, and power systems
Transition from initial prototypes to space-ready designs, ensuring robustness and system scalability
Design, develop, and test space-ready PCBs and circuits for custom electronics, sensors, and power management
Develop and implement real-time control systems (HAL level) for robotic actuation and sensors
Design power-efficient compute architectures, optimizing for radiation resistance and in-space power constraints
Lead architectural decisions and system design
Integrate buses & middleware: EtherCAT, CAN-FD, SPI/I2C, UART/RS-485
Select and integrate space-grade components
Support reliability and environmental testing (thermal, vacuum, vibration) with third-party space-grade testing providers
Iterate on flight-ready designs based on mechanical, thermal, and radiation test results
Assist in developing space-grade manufacturing processes for Phenix’s robotic module
Work with key vendors and suppliers for critical robotic and space-qualified components
Work with manufacturing partners to develop and source high-reliability actuators, sensors, and electronics
Qualification
Required
Master's or PhD in electrical engineering, mechatronics, aerospace engineering, or equivalent work experience
3+ years of experience in space working with mechatronics, electrical engineering, or embedded systems development
Hands-on experience designing and building electromechanical systems for space applications
Strong expertise in embedded programming (C/C++) for real-time and safety-critical systems
Understanding of EtherCAT, CAN, I2C, SPI, and low-level communication protocols
Proficiency in power management, battery systems, and circuit design (PCB, microcontrollers, FPGAs, sensors) for space applications
Familiarity with actuation systems, including motors, servos, and mechanical linkages
Knowledge of thermal, vibration, and radiation testing for space applications
Preferred
Background in space systems, satellite bus integration, or in-space robotics
Experience with motors used in space systems and their thermal and radiation considerations
Experience with shielding or radiation hardening circuits or components for space applications
Familiarity with radiation-hardened processors and space-grade materials
Hands-on experience in designing and testing radiation-resistant embedded systems for extreme environments
Experience with FPGAs or ASICs-based designs
[Bonus] Experience with optical systems (RGB, depth) for perception-based automation
[Bonus] Experience with analog systems and related integrations
Company
Phenix Space (Neo ‘25)
Building the upgradeable Space layer for Earth’s critical industries. Follow us for updates!
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase