HITL Test Engineer

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA. HITL Test Engineer We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated HITL Test Engineer to join our rapidly-growing team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testbeds that serve as the primary proving ground for every satellite we build and fly. You will collaborate with nearly every engineering team — Flight Software, Guidance Navigation & Control, Avionics, Power, Payload, and Mission Ops — to ensure our testbeds are flight-representative, reliable, and always ready to support testing. If it runs on a satellite, it gets proven on HITL first. Role • Own the full lifecycle of flatsat and HITL testbed builds, from initial design and BOM development through hardware procurement and software bring-up • Scope and design harnessing needs, coordinating with manufacturing to produce custom harnesses for flight-like hardware • Serve on a rotating on-call point of contact for testbed health, triaging anomalies and managing access for other engineers • Diagnose and resolve hardware and software failures on the testbed, spanning firmware interfaces, flight software, and physical components • Drive testbed architecture decisions, including hardware allocation tradeoffs and risk mitigation for testbed contention • Expand simulation capabilities as new satellite blocks come online, integrating motor emulators and deployment simulators • Develop tooling to improve testbed observability, monitoring, and automated operations • Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team Requirements • Bachelors degree in EE, AE, CS (or equivalent background knowledge) • 2-5+ years of experience in hardware integration, systems bring-up, or test engineering • Comfort working across hardware and software, from rack assembly to debugging Python tracebacks • Experience with embedded systems, proprietary test hardware, or laboratory hardware like logic analyzers and oscilloscopes • 2+ years of experience with Python (or equivalent high-level scripting language) for test automation • 1+ years of experience with Linux and shell command line tools • 1+ years of experience with version control systems (git or equivalent) • Experience reading schematics and debugging circuits that interface with embedded software • Strong debugging instincts and a methodical approach to documenting novel failures • Excellent written and verbal communication skills • A passion for building things, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on development Bonus • Familiarity with flight software architectures, telemetry systems, or simulation frameworks • Prior experience with networked lab infrastructure, Kubernetes, or Linux system administration • Please apply even if you do not meet every single criterion listed above What we offer: All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits. Base pay is just one component of Astranis’s total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high-quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on-site catered meals. Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position. Base Salary $150,000—$215,000 USD U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required (To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.