Jobs at Cowboy Space Corporation

Design, develop, and maintain platform firmware, BMC/OpenBMC management stacks, and FPGA/CPLD logic for board bring-up and system management. Own low-level boot sequencing, debug CPU/GPU/PCIe/hardware interactions, implement Redfish/IPMI interfaces, and build fault recovery, secure boot, and autonomous reboot systems for orbital deployments.

Manage high-volume accounts payable including two- and three-way matching, invoice investigation and resolution, vendor master maintenance, payment runs (ACH/wire/check), expense reimbursements, month-end/year-end AP reconciliations, 1099 and tax filings, audit recordkeeping, vendor communication, and process improvement to strengthen internal controls.

Design and implement complex multilayer PCBs for spacecraft avionics, power, RF, and compute systems. Translate schematics into manufacturable layouts, define stackups and routing, perform SI/PI and impedance analysis, ensure thermal and mechanical integration, produce fabrication and assembly documentation, and drive DFM/DFA/DFT and PCB standards while supporting fabrication, testing, and supplier partnerships.

Lead end-to-end development of precision gimbal mechanisms for laser communications payloads, including design, analysis, procurement, integration, and qualification. Define performance requirements, perform mechanism-level analysis, manage suppliers, develop test and qualification plans, and collaborate with optics, controls, and systems teams to deliver flight-qualified hardware.

Design, develop, and validate board-level RF hardware for free-space optical communications up to 50 Gbps. Own RF driver/receiver circuitry, high-speed RF/analog PCB layout, signal integrity analysis, simulation and lab characterization. Collaborate with optics, mechanical, firmware, and systems teams to integrate and flight-qualify RF/optical subsystems and support testing, troubleshooting, and documentation.

Design, develop, integrate, and qualify spacecraft battery systems from concept through flight. Responsibilities include pack/module architecture, BMS development (SOC/SOH, cell balancing, protections), cell chemistry selection, sizing and degradation modeling, thermal and safety strategies, environmental qualification and testing, manufacturing support, and on-orbit performance monitoring and failure investigation.

Design, build, and qualify high-power fiber laser and amplifier systems and fiber-optic subsystems for space applications. Characterize lasers (linewidth, phase noise, RIN), model nonlinear effects, perform fiber splicing and assembly, design coherent receivers, and execute optical test plans and documentation for space qualification.

Lead design of high-voltage, high-power DC/DC conversion and distribution systems for terrestrial and orbital GPU compute. Architect multi-stage power conversion, custom magnetic components, PCB layouts, power integrity and thermal solutions, validate prototypes to production, and mentor the power systems team while coordinating with mechanical, thermal, and systems engineers.

Design, implement, and verify FPGA/RTL for compute payloads: sensor interfaces, deterministic pixel capture, high-throughput DDR/DMA datapaths, and AXI register interfaces to embedded Linux. Drive synthesis, timing closure across Zynq/Versal/Cyclone targets, testbench-based verification and lab bring-up. Support Petalinux, driver integration, platform firmware/BMC bring-up, board integration, anomaly investigation, and CI/regression for FPGA workflows.

Lead and build Cowboy Space's export compliance program (ITAR/EAR/OFAC). Own classification, licensing, TCPs, denied-party screening, audits, training, and partner with engineering, supply chain, and leadership to enable compliant international operations.

Lead end-to-end system integration and validation of electro-mechanical and avionics hardware. Design and build test infrastructure, develop automated and manual procedures, run environmental and functional tests, debug electrical systems, perform failure analysis, support flight qualification and launch readiness, and collaborate with hardware, firmware, and software teams to improve test coverage and reliability.

Design, develop, and test high-reliability, low-latency flight and mission software across embedded and ground systems. Implement C&DH, FDIR, secure communications, simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing, maintain documentation, and support CI/CD and cross-team integration for satellite operations.

Design, implement, and validate spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control algorithms. Build high-fidelity simulations and state estimators, integrate with sensors/actuators and flight software, support HIL testing, launch preparation, on-orbit operations, and flight-data analysis to improve system performance.

Design, build, and maintain spacecraft and ground software including flight software, simulations, mission control, and test tooling. Integrate and debug hardware-software systems, support on-orbit operations, and contribute to system architecture and launch preparation.

Lead and operate Talent Acquisition across the company: own full-cycle recruiting for technical, manufacturing, operational, executive, and business roles; manage recruiters and external agencies; build recruiting infrastructure, ATS workflows, analytics, dashboards, and hiring processes; and source senior, hard-to-fill technical talent during rapid growth.

Own end-to-end purchase order lifecycle and supplier management for complex engineered hardware. Negotiate vendors, mitigate risk, manage procurement workflows and compliance, and drive cost-savings. Build data-driven sourcing tools and dashboards (SQL/Python/BI), automate processes, and partner cross-functionally with engineering, finance, and operations to support hardware development and production timelines.

Design and integrate RF and hybrid RF/optical communication subsystems for space/airborne platforms. Develop SDR-based pipelines, high-speed free-space optical links, PCBA hardware, and test infrastructure. Perform system trade studies, validate end-to-end performance under real-world conditions, and collaborate with avionics, firmware, and compute teams for flight integration.

Design, build, and test software for spacecraft and ground systems across the full stack. Develop flight and real-time control software, simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing frameworks, integrate with hardware teams, support system bring-up and on-orbit operations, and create tooling for automation and mission operations in resource-constrained, high-reliability environments.

Lead mission and program execution across cross-functional teams by managing schedules, risks, resources, and milestones. Drive decision-making and problem-solving to resolve complex technical and operational issues, establish accountability, remove blockers, and ensure timely delivery of mission objectives in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

Lead architecture, development, and deployment of onboard compute software for satellites. Define technical vision, build a software team, design real-time distributed and fault-tolerant systems, optimize for constrained power/thermal environments, integrate with hardware/GNC/RF teams, and establish testing, HIL simulation, and in-orbit operations.